Of Earth and Stars
by Efflorescent.Hours
Summary: Suri Rosier-Black is like many other children after Voldemort's fall: without parents and with questions. She hopes Hogwarts has the answer. Answers are hard to come by when Suri finds hurdles in the form of unforgivable grudges, and friends like enemies. But happiness and hope, she finds, can be found in the darkest spaces. Sequel to 'Thorns'. Eventual romance.
1. A Beginning and An End

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 1: A Beginning and An End

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And here we are! This is the sequel to _Thorns_ , my Sirius Black fanfiction. Even as a sequel, _Of Earth and Stars_ , is also a standalone. If you are a first time reader, you'll likely be able to follow along, however there will be elements in this story that will make sense if you read _Thorns_.**

 **But a quick synopsis for those choosing to read _Of Earth and Stars_ only: Suri Rosier-Black is Sirius Black's daughter who starts at Hogwarts in 1988 (4 years before Harry Potter). She has unusual skill as a legimens which is passed down to her through her grandmother's lineage. There will be a love story, but for the sake of my readers who followed _Thorns_ , that one will be kept under wraps as long as possible. :)**

 **First and foremost, this story will be rated T! I would almost consider this a T+, because there will be times in which this story will have "triggering" themes such as sexual assault, violence, and generally, what it means to grow up as a girl. I will do my very best to forewarn you in the chapters these themes are most prevalent in.**

 **Secondly, this story will be written similar to _Thorns_ such as major time-skips through the years. It is my intention to take you through Suri's years at Hogwarts and a little after... :) **

**Thirdly, because this is my story, of course, there will ultimately be a love story. So, I'd love to hear your guesses on who that will be! ;)**

 **Finally, the Harry Potter universe and majority of known characters, locations, spells, and timelines belong to J.K. Rowling. It is my goal to make a "believable as possible" series of events within the established universe while remaining as canonical as possible... :)**

 **Without further ado, welcome to _Of Earth and Stars_ (this opening bit is also found on the last chapter of _Thorns_ ).**

* * *

 _November 1981…_

She held tightly to his hand that cold November morning when people came up to her with long, sad faces.

"You'll catch a cold," he murmured as he crouched in front of her to adjust her coat zipper, pulling it higher, and tucking her scarf around her neck more snuggly.

"Moons," she said, her small voice pausing his actions. The young man looked at the little girl, his scar-filled face tired, his eyes dull and broken.

"Yes Suri-girl?"

Suri held out her arms to him, a silent askance to be held, to make the people stop coming to her with their crying eyes, looking at her with a mixture of sadness and pity. She didn't want to see that anymore.

"Up?"

Suri nodded and walked into Remus Lupin. She clung to his neck as he lifted her from the ground. This was the second funeral she attended in two days. The first was for her mother, Contessa Rosier; killed by her boyfriend's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, the _Daily Prophet_ reported.

Today's funeral was for Lily and James Potter-baby Harry had already been removed to live with his mother's family. Suri was sad she didn't even get to say goodbye and kiss his forehead like she always did whenever they parted.

She also didn't get to say goodbye to her daddy, Sirius Black who was taken to a very bad place. People kept saying he did very bad things, and Suri didn't understand. How could someone who gave her tickles with his stubble, kisses, and sang her songs do something bad? All she knew was she didn't have a mom or dad anymore, and Moons was going to take care of her.

She rested her head on the shoulder of his shabby coat, soothed by the way he clumsily pat her long black hair. He had picked her up from her Granna a couple of days ago-after receiving an owl that Suri would not stop crying until she was with her Moons. Remus was therefore left on his own to do her hair, and he had no idea how to tie a bow into a little girl's hair and make it look nice.

Remus stood with Suri in his arms long after the last of the guests left. It was just him and the little girl in the cemetery with roses thrown over two caskets lowered into the ground. A couple feet away, the earth was freshly turned, covering the place where Contessa Rosier had been buried.

When it was just the two of them, Suri wiggled from Remus's arms and walked over to her mother's grave. Already, a heavy black stone was placed at the head of the grave that read:

 _Contessa "Tessa" Maeve Rosier_ _  
_ _Beloved mother, friend, and exceptional witch_

 _December 18, 1959 - October 31,1981_

Suri stared at her mother's headstone before looking at the Potters' caskets. She then turned her sea-colored eyes on Remus.

"When Mummy died, where did she go?"

Remus walked over and crouched next to the girl, and Suri slid her hand into his. "She went to a very good place where only the best people get to go to wish us luck."

"Are Ally and Uncle James there?"

Remus swallowed hard, choking over Suri's pet name for Aunt Lily; "Yes," he finally answered, "Most definitely."

"Is Daddy there? He's nice."

"Suri, your daddy's not dead-" Remus's eyes were wide, and he tried not to cry in front of the little girl who stared at him so solemnly. Remus wondered how he would ever tell this girl that her father turned mad the night he lost his best friends and best girl and ended up in Azkaban-a fate worse than death.

"Baby Harry?"

"Baby Harry is alive and well too."

Suri looked away from Remus and at the three graves. "Moons, I want to go to the good place too," said Suri. "I want to be with Mummy and Ally, and Uncle James. Maybe we can find Daddy and we all go there. Baby Harry too."

"Suri, you won't get there for a long time yet," said Remus, standing straight and pulling Suri up with him.

"But I miss them, Moons. I miss Mummy." Suri looked into Remus's face, trying hard to wrap her mind around the concept of death. Granna said it meant people went to sleep for a very long time. That means they just needed to wake up.

"I miss them too, Suri. I miss them so much." Remus cursed himself when he realized he was crying again. He didn't want to scare Suri, but it was too much. Suri gently reached out to wipe away a tear, and Remus turned his head to kiss her hand and offer her a smile.

"See, when people go to this place, it means they aren't on earth anymore. And it also means they live in our hearts forever, and we have to do our very best to always remember them."

Suri put a hand over her heart, over the crystal vial with swirling silver. She thought of her mother and felt her heart beat steadily. She slowly started to understand that death was more than a long sleep-it was saying goodbye for a very long time. Her father was as good as dead, since she would never see him again.

"Remus."

Remus turned, Suri still in his arms, to see Amalia Rosier, her face pale, walk up to him. In her hands she held a rolled parchment.

"Amalia," Remus greeted. For a moment they were quiet and their eyes met, and they both understood their mutual loss of Tessa Rosier. "I am so sorry."

"I am too, Remus." Amalia said, her deep blue eyes were rimmed with red as if she couldn't stop crying either.

Amalia paused in front of Remus and Suri, and she offered a smile at her granddaughter, before looking at Remus. "Remus," Amalia said, and she held out the parchment with a shaky hand, "I have a letter for you."

 **X**

It took all of Remus's physical and mental strength to pull Suri from his neck and put her on the ground as she tightened her arms around him and sobbed loudly into his ear.

"No! No more going away! Granna please! I want to stay with Moons, Granna! Please!"

Amalia Rosier kept her expression neutral, but anyone who could see her eyes knew that she was breaking when she held tightly to Suri's hand to keep the little girl from running.

"G-Granna," Suri stammered between cries, looking from her grandmother to her godfather. "I want to live with Moons! He makes really good grilled cheese sandwiches and he reads my favorite stories! He's good at taking care of me!"

"But Suri-girl, look at your hair-" Remus tried weakly. "You need your Granna, your father wrote a letter that says that you would be best with your grandmother."

"No! I don't care! I'll learn how to do my own dumb hair! I'm smart, I can learn!" Suri used all her strength and wrenched from Amalia's grip and put her arms tightly around Remus's legs.

"Suri Rosier-Black, that is enough now," Remus tried to keep his voice strong as he bent down in front of Suri. "Your daddy's wish was for you to be taken care of by your grandmother, and Amalia will be able to take care of you in ways that I can't." Remus drew a breath. "You're going with her, Suri."

"No! I don't want to!" Suri looked at both adults, and saw that they weren't budging. Suri pulled away from Remus and started running.

"I hate my daddy! I hate him! I wish I was with Mummy!"

Remus sprinted after the girl and quickly caught up with her and plucked her from the ground. For a minute, Remus held Suri as she cried. After a few minutes, her loud cries turned to quiet shudders, and she was quiet against his chest.

"Suri," said Remus, his voice calm, because for the moment there were no more tears left in him. "Don't hate your Daddy. Padfoot loves you so much, and he did what is best for you. Don't you ever hate your dad. And even though I'm your godfather, it's better for you to be with your grandmother."

Remus walked Suri back toward Amalia who watched the exchange with a heavy heart. This time, Suri did not run when Remus put her down next to Amalia.

"Will I see you again?"

"Definitely," Remus promised the girl with a sad smile. "I will always be thinking of you."

"And I can write to you?"

"Whenever you want, Suri." Remus reached out and touched Suri's inky black hair-so much like Sirius's. "What's our favorite story, Suri? The one you have my read over and over?"

"Earth and Stars Princess," Suri answered.

"That's right, the Earth and Stars Princess. I think you'll grow up to be just like her."

"Why?"

"Because your dad Sirius Black is like the stars: confident and bright. And your mum was like earth: wild like the beautiful flowers that grow in the summer, and steady for the ones she loved. You got the best of both of them in your blood. Be earth and stars, little lady Padfoot. You will grow up to be wildly beautiful. Grow up and be bright, confident, and steady for the ones you love." Remus hugged the girl once more.

"Love you, Moons," Suri murmured hugging him with all of her four year old strength.

"I love you, Suri-girl," Remus said before he detached himself and stood straight. He nodded at Amalia.

"Take care of yourself, Remus," Amalia said.

"You too, Amalia."

Remus watched as Amalia took Suri's hand as they left, Suri constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure Remus didn't move. He watched as Amalia summoned the Knight Bus, and they were gone.

Remus turned to Lily's James's, and Tessa's graves once more and he pressed his fist against his mouth, but nothing could stop the sob that broke free. Having Suri was almost like an anchor so he wasn't alone at the funerals. For those two days he had her, fear raked his body when he thought he'd have to raise a child on his own.

On his own, he re-read the letter from Amalia. It was a contract that broke the agreement that he would have to be her guardian in the event of Sirius Black's and Contessa Rosier's deaths. It was signed and sealed by Amalia and Sirius, and Remus knew it was done without Tessa's knowledge-probably before Sirius asked Tessa to stop seeing him.

Remus folded the parchment and put it in his pocket before he lingered over Tessa's grave.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep her," Remus said, reading Tessa's name over and over again. "But she will be okay. Your baby will be okay."

Remus lingered at the cemetary for a while longer before he finally left, putting his hands in his pockets and hunching his shoulders against the cold. Suri's words rang through his head: let's go where they are.

More than anything, after today, Remus wanted to be dead too.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for joining me on this new journey known as _Of Earth and Stars_.**

 **I'd love to hear your guesses on who you think she'll fall in love with. :)**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	2. Defining Choices

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 2: Defining Choices

* * *

 _August 1988 -_ _Vienna, Austria_

She followed the sounds of gently clinking glass to the kitchen. There, she found the ten-year-old girl with a sullen face. The girl was quiet as she poured herself a tall glass of lemonade infused with lavender and set the pitcher down with a dispassionate _clunk_.

"My dear, why the long face," the older woman asked. Her blonde hair was pulled back into an elegant chignon, and she carried herself with the grace of aristocracy. Her deep blue eyes watched sympathetically as the girl with inky black hair plopped down at the kitchen table by the window.

"Sophia got her letter to Beauxbatons yesterday," said the girl, lifting her eyes—an uncommon grey-blue. People often said her eyes were reminiscent of the deepest part of the sea.

"Sophia got hers, Eloise got hers last month, and Mia got hers last month too—why not me, Granna?" Suri Rosier-Black searched Amalia Rosier's face for the answers.

"Oh, Suri." Amalia joined Suri at the kitchen table, and smiled gently when Suri took another unhappy swallow of her drink. She almost chuckled at the contradiction between Suri's trembling lower lip and the determined set of her shoulders.

"Am I a squib, Granna?" Suri's eyes widened with momentary fear.

"You are the furthest thing from a squib and you know that," Amalia replied, seeing the tension leave the little girl's body with the validating words. "But maybe…" Amalia frowned as she thought of how to break the news to her granddaughter. "You were born late during the year, so maybe you won't get your letter until next year."

"What?!" Suri's eyes widened with shock. "No! I want to go this year! I'd be eleven when term starts, which is just in time!"

"I know that dear, try looking for a bright side. If you don't get your letter this year, then next year, you'll be among the older ones in your class."

"I don't care!" Suri frowned and looked away from her grandmother, glaring at the sweating glass of cold lemonade.

To the girl's left, a tapping sound interrupted her sulking. She turned to see an owl at the window and her heart soared.

"Granna! The owl has a letter!" Suri rushed to unlatch the window and welcome the owl inside, stroking the bird's head with gratitude as the bird released the letter into Suri's eager palm.

"Oh, Granna! It's addressed to me, see!?" Suri turned the letter over long enough for Amalia to see a name scripted across the front in fancy calligraphy:  
 _Suri Ariel Rosier-Black._

Amalia watched as Suri excitedly tore into the letter, careful not to rip the contents. Suri extracted a folded piece of parchment and quickly scanned the page. "Chère Mademoiselle Rosier-Black, we are pleased to ask you to join us at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic this autumn—"

Suri broke into a large smile. "Granna, I—" She was cut off when a second owl swooped through the open window and dropped a letter beside her lemonade before perching next to the other owl.

"Two letters?" Amalia glanced at the new letter and paled when she saw the crimson wax seal.

"Strange," Suri murmured and picked up the letter. "It's also addressed to me." Setting aside her Beauxbatons acceptance letter, Suri tore into the second letter.

"Dear Miss Rosier-Black, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—" Suri looked up, her expression mostly calm except for the slight furrow in her eyebrow when she appraised her grandmother.

"Granna, why are you scared?"

"Suri Rosier-Black!" Amalia pressed her fingers to her temple and immediately, Suri lost the feeling of fear her grandmother experienced. "Please," Amalia continued in a tight, calm voice. "Let me see the Hogwarts letter."

Suri handed it over and Amalia scanned the contents. She was silent for a few moments before she finally folded the letter and set it aside. "Well," she said, smiling at Suri. "We'll just send an owl informing Hogwarts of their mistake. You'll be going to Beauxbatons in September."

"What if I don't want to?" Suri's voice, generally light, but strong came out in almost a mumble.

"What was that, darling?"

"I mean," Suri continued, looking from her Beauxbatons letter to her Hogwarts one. "What if this _isn't_ a mistake and I get to choose?"

"Suri, Austria is within the boundaries for Beauxbatons. Besides, weren't you just complaining about the possibility of being a year behind your friends? If you got to Hogwarts, you'll be hundreds of kilometers away."

"I know." Suri reached up and gently touched the front of her blouse, feeling the bump of a silvery vial pendant cool against her skin. "But if I go to Hogwarts, I'll learn about my Mum and Dad."

Amalia paled even further. "Suri," she said slowly. "You know you can ask me anything about them."

"I know, Granna." Suri looked up and met her grandmother's eyes. Her sea-colored eyes were kind, but they were hard with steely determination. "I have a lot of questions, but maybe I'll get more answers if I go to Hogwarts. Maybe sit where my dad sat or meals or learn from the same professors in the same classes my Mum had."

Amalia sighed heavily at her granddaughter. Suri Rosier-Black, among her other strengths and unusual skills, had always been a good girl—albeit the most daring of her friends, and with a sense of indomitable passion. The passion, Amalia knew, visibly started with Suri's eyes hardening and her chin rising, as if preparing for a challenge. It usually ended with her getting exactly what she set out to do.

"Granna," Suri raised her chin ever so slightly, "I'm going to Hogwarts."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for joining me on this new journey known as _Of Earth and Stars._**

 **So, keeping the theme from last chapter-who do you think Suri is going to fall in love with? :)**

 **Also, I noticed I have a few international readers-for those of you who's first language might not be English (specifically US English), thanks for reading and following along! You all are rockstars!**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	3. Hopes Born In Fear

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 3: Hopes Born In Fear

* * *

 _September 1988_

Witches and wizards of all ages bustled around Suri and her grandmother on Platform 9 ¾. Smoke from the Express clouded the crisp air above, making it a day Suri would never forget. The slightest of smiles touched her face when she noticed some kids both her age and older board the train. All around her were families kissing their children goodbye while younger siblings whined because it wasn't their time to go to Hogwarts yet.

She then turned to her grandmother and her smile faltered. She reached for her necklace—a vial made of crystal that glowed with shimmering silver—and drew comfort from rubbing the smooth material between her fingertips.

This would be the first time since she was four years old that she would be the furthest she's ever been from home. Last time she left home, Suri thought darkly, she never got to go back.

Granna smiled at Suri, another tight smile. She had offered a lot of those ever since Suri decided to attend Hogwarts over Beauxbatons.

"Well," said Granna, looking over Suri and at the Express. A touch of nostalgia softened her deep blue eyes. "It's been a while since I've seen this sight." She then looked back down at Suri. Granna then produced a brown gift bag with pink and white tissue paper tastefully sticking out and held it out for Suri.

"Happy birthday, sweet Suri."

Suri took the bag, surprised by it's heaviness. She rested it atop her luggage trolley before she moved forward and wrapped her grandmother in a hug. She breathed in her grandmother's scent—warm amber—and felt her shoulders relax when Granna stroked her dark hair.

Finally, Suri pulled away and looked up at her Granna, noticing her tears.

"Don't cry." Suri gently squeezed Granna's hand, as Granna moved to dab her eyes with her free hand.

"When you want to come home, just send me your owl, and we can try again at Beaubatons," said Granna.

Suri looked at her own, a beautiful red-brown bird with big brown eyes. She had named it Godfrey.

"I'm staying at Hogwarts," Suri said decidedly, facing her grandmother once more.

"You're so much like you're father," Granna laughed, touching the side of Suri's face.

"I thought he was bad," Suri murmured, feeling panic set in her stomach. Why would Granna call her bad?

"Before he was that," Granna said, "he was a stubborn boy with a streak for mischief. You got that good thing from him. And his wild hair; you've got that too."

"Oh," said Suri, still uncertain.

Granna smiled. She then crouched down so she would be eyelevel with her granddaughter. "You also have a lot of your mum in you too. You are just as strong as she was, and just as loving."

"Do you think I'll make friends, Granna?"

"I think you will," Granna agreed. "Just make the right ones."

"Like Sophia, and Mia, and Eloise?"

"Whoever you think the right ones are," said Granna with a smile. "You're a clever girl, Suri, the right friends will come along."

"THE EXPRESS IS LEAVING IN TEN MINUTES!"

Suri jumped when she heard the conductor make one of his last calls. She looked at her Granna again who gave her a peculiar look.

"That's me! love you, Granna."

"Love you, Suri," Granna said, giving her a final squeeze. "Don't eat too may sweets, while you're there. And whatever you do, stay safe."

Suri could feel her grandmother's eyes watching after her…as well as her grandmother's fear and anxiety when she turned her back. A couple years ago, Suri had learned to keep surprise off her face whenever she felt another person's thoughts or feelings.

 _I hope she's more like you, Contessa, than Sirius._

Suri shook off her grandmother's thoughts and boarded the Express.

She pushed her trolley past four, full compartments before she found an empty one. She breathed a sigh of relief as she strategically angled her trolley to unload her belongings. It wasn't that she was shy—but she needed space to process her feelings of leaving her Granna, and process the idea of starting her schooling for witchcraft.

Suri put her gift on the seat and set Godfrey's cage next to it. She looked down at her heavy trunk, then up to the overhead space that was meant for trunks and suitcases, and frowned slightly. Her trunk was heavy, Suri knew and she sighed. Unlike her Granna, and supposedly her parents, Suri was not gifted in height.

"Alright, I can do this," Suri murmured to herself as she reached for her trunk. "I can put this trunk way up there, all by myself."

Pushing her hair out of her eyes, Suri lifted her trunk and silently chided herself. Granna said over-packing would be her undoing, but Suri hadn't cared then because she wanted to make her own choices. Now, she thought grudgingly, maybe it was still fine to take advice from others.

"Ugh," Suri groaned when her hair fell into her eyes again, and she ignored it as she lifted her trunk once more. This time, when she lifted it, her trunk easily lifted from the trolley.

"I got this side!"

Suri stood on her toes in order to get her trunk pushed into the overhead bin. Moving her hair to get a look at her helper, Suri found herself face to face with a boy who looked to be a year older than her with reddish-brown hair and brown eyes. He grinned at her.

"Thanks," said Suri with a smile.

"Don' mention it. You just looked like you could use a hand. You're not very tall, by the way. You must be a first year." He paused as he gave her an appraisal from head to toe.

"I am," Suri narrowed her eyes, irritated by his comment. She knew what the boy saw when he looked at her: long, black wavy hair that fell down her back, her dark blue dress and grey tights beneath her mustard yellow cardigan, and her uncommon grey-blue eyes, all attached to her body that she felt was four inches too short and ten pounds too heavy.

She watched as he easily loaded his trunk beside hers and plopped on the seats across from her belongings. Warily, Suri sat across from him.

"You'll like Hogwarts," said the boy. She noticed her had a Scottish accent.

"I hope so," answered Suri. She then looked at the boy who cocked his head to the side. "I chose between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons."

"You've got a funny accent," the boy said. "Some of your words sound like you're from Northern Ireland, and other words sound different."

"I was raised in Vienna, Austria but my Granna was from Northern Ireland," she shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, _you're_ the one with the funny accent!" Suri crossed her arms irritably.

"Hey now, I didn't mean anything by it," the boy said, holding up his hands in surrender.

Suri turned away from him and stared out the window, noticing that the Express had begun to move, and they were almost out of the station.

 _Guilt_.

Suri's shoulders sagged when she realized she was picking up the boy's guilt because he thought he had offended her.

"Hey, lass, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you mad."

"I'm not mad," Suri said stiffly, her grey-blue eyes slid back over to the boy who seemed to fidget with nerves.

"I'm Oliver Wood, and I can be a bit daft, or so my Ma and my older sister like to tell me."

This brought a smile from Suri, and she could see Oliver's shoulders sag with relief. The funny thing about him, Suri realized, was his honesty. Whatever Oliver said, he meant.

"I'm Suri." She took the hand Oliver held out. He had a strong handshake for someone so young.

"Nice to meet you," Oliver smiled in a way that animated his whole face.

"Likewise." Suri followed Oliver's gaze as he looked past Godfrey and at the present beside her owl.

"Going to Hogwarts present?" he guessed.

"No, er, it's ah, my birthday today," Suri felt the blood rise to her face when Oliver's eyes widened.

"Wow! Happy birthday! Why don't you open it?"

She reached for the present and put it in her lap. She wanted to save it for when she got to school, and was sorted into her house, but Oliver's insistence made her eager to find out what it was.

"Why not?" Suri smiled gamely and tugged out all the tissue paper. She pulled out a heavy square box that was similar to a wizard's chess box. But instead of wizard's chess, in gold calligraphy, the title of the game sprawled across the box: _Quidditch Quest_.

"Oh wow!" Suri eagerly turned the box over to read the rules.

"Quidditch Quest!" Oliver exclaimed excitedly, leaning over to look at the game. "I've been looking for this game! It's like Wizard's Chess where the pieces destroy each other, but in this game, each player creates a play in order to score on their opponent!"

Suri smiled softly at Oliver's excitement. She didn't need legilimency to know how badly he wanted to play.

With one hand, Suri undid the latch beneath the window and a small table popped down between her and Oliver. She plopped the game between them and looked up at him through her eyelashes. "You like quidditch?"

Oliver laughed. " _Like_ quidditch?" He laughed again. "It's my _dream_ to play on a professional team!"

"Well, let's play!"

Both Oliver and Suri broke the game open and set up the board and pieces in silence. With everything set, they took up the two drawing boards and leaned back in their seats to hide their strategies.

Suri peeked at Oliver and noticed his eyebrows furrowed together in deep concentration. She almost laughed out loud when Oliver exclaimed suddenly, erased something, and drew it over. Looking back at her drawing board, Suri refrained from bouncing with excitement. She _loved_ quidditch, and her only friend who shared her interest back in Vienna were Mia, and her older brother who played at Beauxbatons. Even then Mia, Eloise, and Sophia rarely wanted to play quidditch; they preferred to watch.

"Just about ready," Oliver murmured as he put finished touches on his play.

"About time." Suri raised an eyebrow and laughed out loud at the look Oliver gave her.

Before Oliver could respond, there was a knock at their compartment door. A kindly old witch pushing a trolley full of treats smiled at them. "Anything from the trolleys, dear?"

Suri stared longingly at the chocolate frogs, cauldron cakes, fizzing whizbees, and all the other sweets that tempted her from the trolley. Finally, with a sigh she shook her dark head just as Oliver passed a sickle to the witch in return for two chocolate frogs.

"No, thank you."

"You sure," asked Oliver, "it's your birthday! Not even a cauldron cake?"

"No," Suri smiled in a way that suggested otherwise. "I shouldn't have one."

"That's stupid. It's your birthday _and_ your first year!" said Oliver, emphasizing her birthday. He turned to the trolley witch and handed her more money. "One cauldron cake, please."

"Oliver, no—"

"A birthday?" The witch smiled as she bent down and produced a chocolate cauldron cake. She smiled kindly at Suri and handed her the cake and handed Oliver back his money.

"This one is on me. Happy birthday, dearie." The witch winked at her before she moved on, alerting other compartments of her arrival.

"Oh go on, Suri, enjoy it," he said, "you only get a birthday once a year."

Suri stared down at the chocolate-filled treat; chocolate was her favorite. "I really shouldn't. I need to diet—"

Oliver groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. "You sound like my sister! You look fine, you don't need to diet." Oliver continued his grumbling as he bit into his chocolate frog, cursing girls and their dumb diets.

He didn't notice the heat rise to Suri's face when he said she looked fine. Suri looked down at the cauldron cake again before she dug into it, enjoying the chocolate-y goodness.

"So you have a sister," asked Suri.

"Yeah, her name is Laurel. She's a seventh year, and she's sitting with all her friends somewhere," answered Oliver around a mouthful of chocolate frog. "So, Beauxbatons, huh? I think you chose right in coming to Hogwarts. Our quidditch teams are better than theirs—even Slytherin." Oliver scoffed at the mention of Slytherin.

"Slytherin," Suri echoed. "I know there are four houses, but I don't know much about them."

"Oh well, there's four houses," Oliver said excitedly. "There's Hufflepuff—they have a lot of nice people in that house, and their quidditch team is decent. They're definitely better than Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw is for the clever ones. I figure they're too concerned with their assignments to really care about quidditch. Then you've got Gryffindor, where I am, we've got the best team and the bravest of people in our house. Then finally, Slytherin—they're Gryffindor's biggest rival and there isn't a witch or wizard in that house that isn't bad."

"Are you on Gryffindor's team?"

"No," answered Oliver, "First years aren't allowed to play, but I'm going to try out this year." His brown eyes lit up with such intensity, that Suri feared for what would happen if he didn't make the team.

"Oh, well," Suri looked to the drawing boards they had put aside for their snacks. "We'll see if you have any skill worth talking about."

Oliver choked on a chocolate frog leg and his choking turned into a chuckle. "Right, well, I went easy on you."

"Is that supposed to build up your self-esteem for when I beat you?" Suri stuck her tongue out at Oliver and giggled when he glared at her.

"Wood! There you are!"

Suri looked up to see two boys enter the compartment unannounced. They both looked like they were in Oliver's year—one had blond hair, and the other boy had brown hair.

"We've been looking all over for you," said the blond, his gaze then flicked over to Suri, as if noticing her for the first time.

"Sorry," said Oliver, looking down at his drawing board. "I started looking for you, then I met Suri who needed help with her trunk, and then she brought out Quidditch Quest…"

"Quidditch Quest?!" The two boys exclaimed in unison. They took seats on Oliver's side of the compartment to look at his drawing board. The brown-haired boy smiled and looked up at Suri.

"You've got no chance, er," he paused when he realized he didn't know her name.

"Suri," she supplied.

"You've got no chance, Suri," he said with confidence.

"I thought you were going easy," Suri asked, arching an eyebrow at Oliver.

" _He is_ ," the blond boy confirmed with a cocky grin.

"I'll see about that," Suri replied, mischief brightening her eyes. She and Oliver put their drawing boards into the slots on the game board shaped like a quidditch field. The board was charmed to read the two drawing boards and the pieces would enact the drawn out play.

Suri and Oliver watched intently as their pieces flew into action. Suri's red pieces took control of the quaffle and zoomed past Oliver's blue pieces—but she did not account for the beater knocking her player with the quaffle off its broom, causing the piece to shatter and the ball to drop. An available blue chaser plucked the falling quaffle and raced toward the red keeper. The blue piece faked right, faked left, and threw the quaffle through the middle hoop.

The boys cheered and Suri's mouth dropped open.

"That was a good play," Oliver said around a wide, proud grin. He pointed at Suri's red pieces, "you went offensive immediately, which I didn't expect."

"You still won!"

"If your play was defensive, I might not have won," said Oliver. "So, good play."

"So," said the blond boy as he and his friend stood to leave, "you coming or not, Wood?"

Suri and Oliver shared a look, and she was surprised to feel a sinking feeling at the thought of Oliver leaving. She planned on being alone, but his company was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. Oliver ran a hand through his reddish-brown hair and waved to his friends. Suri looked down at her hands, uninterested in watching Oliver make his choice.

"I think I'll stay for now," he said, and Suri looked up, surprised.

"I don't think a first year should have to sit by themselves."

"I'm not a baby!" Suri fired indignantly.

"I didn't say you were! Also, I kind of settled in here, so if you don't mind, I'll stay."

"It's fine with me," said Suri, and she and Oliver shared a smile.

Oliver's friends looked at each other and then looked at the game, and then at Suri. "Would you mind if we had a go at the game?"

"Sure." Suri and Oliver scooted closer to the compartment door so the boys could sit by the window.

Suri and Oliver watched as his friends set up the pieces and argued while they drew their plays.

"Any thoughts on the house you want to be in," Oliver asked, looking away from his friends.

Suri paused for a moment and twirled her thumbs in her lap. "I haven't really thought about it," she said, her tone somewhat guarded. "I don't see anything wrong with any of the houses. Gryffindor doesn't seem bad, I kind of fancy the idea of being brave."

"It's the best house," said the blond boy sitting next to her. All three boys heartily agreed.

"We'll see," answered Suri. It was true, all of the houses sounded fine to her. But she knew her mother's family came from a long line of Slytherins, as did her father's family. Only her father, Sirius Black was deviant enough to be in Gryffindor. Tradition made her want to follow in her mother's footsteps, but she also liked being in the house known for their courage, even if it made her more like her father, as Granna seemed to worry so much about.

Oliver and Suri looked over the shoulders of Oliver's friends as they created their games and offered advice for positioning players. Every so often, Suri snuck glances at Oliver who was oblivious to stares—he was engrossed in Quidditch Quest.

Her grandmother's advice about making the right kinds of friends resounded in her memory. Gently, Suri touched her vial, turning it between her fingers. Oliver seemed like the good sort.

So far, her journey at Hogwarts was off to a good start.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for joining me on this new journey known as _Of Earth and Stars._**

 **Also, I noticed I have a few international readers-for those of you who's first language might not be English (specifically US English), thanks for reading and following along! You all are rockstars!**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	4. Sorted

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 4: Sorted

* * *

 _September 1988_

The sun had set, and the Express had started to slow when someone nudging her shoulder awakened Suri.

"Hey, we're almost there," Oliver's Scottish brogue cut through her sleepy thoughts.

"Hogwarts," Suri asked, and uncurled from her spot against the window. She had been lulled asleep by the boys' talk about Gryffindor's quidditch team after they had all taken turns playing _Quidditch Field_ against each other.

"You'll need to get your robes on before we get off the train. Just leave the rest of your stuff here, and they'll find their way into your house."

"Okay." Suri ran her hands through her black hair though she knew her long waves looked best stylishly tousled. A trait from Sirius Black, Granna had always said. With Oliver's help she lowered her trunk, extracted her robes, and put her trunk back into the overhead bin record time.

The Express continued to slow before it lurched to a stop. The blond boy pushed open the compartment door, and she could hear the same happening at other compartments along with excited chatter from the students. Their excitement was infectious; and she found herself growing fidgety with excitement and nerves.

Her breath came out in cloudy puffs once outside with the other students dressed in their black school robes. She could tell the first years apart from the older students-they looked as shocked, excited, nervous, and as lost as she felt.

"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" A loud booming voice holding a lantern called from somewhere to her left.

She turned to Oliver. "That's me. Thanks for sitting with me on the train."

"Don't mention it," Oliver looked down at his feet at her gratitude. When he looked up at her, he smiled before he turned to join his friends. "Good luck in there. Maybe we'll see you Gryffindor!"

"Firs' years over here!"

Suri had no time to say goodbye to her new friend before she hurried after the voice that called for the new students. When she got closer, she had to crane her neck almost all the way to look into the face of the large man who held the lantern.

"Woah," she said aloud before she could stop herself.

"Woah yerself, girl," the man said jovially. "The name's Reubeus Hagrid, Keeper o' the Keys, an' it's time to board the boats."

"I'm Suri," she quickly introduced before she hurried over to one of the boats waiting at the dock.

"Suri, ye say?" Hagrid's voice was thoughtful. "Only one Suri I heard o' an' her parents—say, what's yer las' name?"

"Rosier-Black."

"Rosier-Black!" A storm of emotions flicked across the giant's face, and Suri felt a sense of unease. Immediately, like a force of habit, Suri picked into the man's mind.

 _Sirius Black's kid? It can't be! S'pose it's about time fer her to be gettin' here. Thought she moved away with her mum's mum, I did…_

Hagrid cleared his throat, startling Suri from seeing his thoughts. "Well," he said and nodded to the boats. His voice was oddly guarded, "In ye get."

Suri frowned at the interaction, but nonetheless did as instructed. She stepped off the dock into the closest boat. Looking around, she saw the faces of the kids around her. One of them was a porcelain-skinned girl with fine, blonde hair, watery blue eyes and a bored expression. Another was a boy with a kind face and light brown hair. There was also another boy with brown skin, dark hair and dark eyes. Soon after she settled onto the boat's bench, the boat lurched forward slightly and began to glide through the night.

"Wow," the kind-faced boy said, looking into the water.

"Enchanted boats," the other boy said, and the boat rocked slightly as he excitedly looked over the side.

"Ugh, don't rock the boat!" The blonde girl chastised. She rolled her eyes and looked at Suri. "Boys…"

"This _is_ pretty cool," Suri answered, shrugging her shoulders. The boat continued forward and soon, gasps and exclamations from the students in surrounding boats echoed over the lake.

Suri felt her breath catch in her chest, and she found herself speechless. The darkness gave way to the illuminated outline of a large castle on a hill.

Hogwarts.

 **X**

"Nathaniel Avery!"

A boy with dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and an arrogant turn to his lips walked forward, starting the Sorting Hat Ceremony. Suri had managed to stand near the front of the group of first years so she was able to see Nathaniel sit on the stool and watch as Professor McGonagall, who introduced herself outside the Great Hall, plop the Sorting Hat on his head. Three heartbeats later…

"Slytherin!"

Cheers erupted from a table with green and silver banners as Nathaniel smiled and joined his new house.

The ceremony continued alphabetically, and Suri held her breath as McGonagall continued down the list alphabetically. She only exhaled when the list continued through the B's, and she wasn't called on.

"Fletcher Diamond!"

Suri looked at the kind-faced boy standing next to he, the same boy who shared her boat. He sat, somewhat nervously, on the stool and McGonagall put the hat on him. Almost immediately, the Sorting Hat declared "Hufflepuff!"

"Ranjit Patel!" The other boy in her boat was sorted into Ravenclaw, and the list continued.

"Suri Rosier-Black!"

Suri jumped slightly when her name was called. When she took a seat on the stool beside McGonagall, she noticed the hush that fell over the Great Hall, specifically among the professors. Professor McGonagall placed the hat upon Suri's head, and the hat covered the tops of her ears.

"I remember your family names, this Sorting Hat has never forgotten!" A proud voice sounded in Suri's head. She waited quietly as the Hat continued. "Oh yes, I see kindness here, and a clever mind sure, but what is most interesting is your daring, a very brave and noble heart, I see…"

"Like my father," Suri answered in her mind.

"Indeed, very much so," the Hat seemed to chuckle. "But there is something about you, Suri Rosier-Black, something quiet and just as strong. I see greatness in your head and something more deeply hidden—don't try occlumency on me, girl, I can see through it all! That small act of hiding has shown me who you are, which shouldn't be a bad thing, given your other strengths, you will do well in…"

"Slytherin!"

McGonagall removed the hat and Suri took her place among the cheering Slytherin's. Something in her made her turn her attention to the professors' table. A number of the staff members watched her intently, curiously, before one by one they focused on the Sorting Hat ceremony again. Only two pairs of eyes remained on her. One pair belonged to an old man whose blue eyes twinkled behind half-moon spectacles. The other pair were dark and belonged to a man significantly younger than the old man; those dark eyes seemed to judge her unfavorably.

"I felt like that took _forever_ ," said Suri, glancing at Nathaniel Avery who was beside her.

"It took less than a minute, really," the boy answered. He then smiled and held out a hand. "Nate," he introduced himself.

Suri took his hand. "Suri," she said, and after a beat, "Suri Rosier-Black."

"Mara Selwyn!" was the last first-year to be sorted. She was the blonde girl in Suri's boat.

"Slytherin!"

Suri cheered along with the others when Mara took her place. She was even more thankful when Headmaster Dumbledore, the man with the twinkling eyes, welcomed the students and invited everyone to feast.

 **X**

Later that night, true to Oliver's word, Suri found all of her belongings from the Express at the foot of one of the large, canopied four-poster beds.

Similar to the Common Room, the girls' dormitory was heavily decorated in ornate, emerald green. Velvet green drapes hung from the beds' canopies over ornately carved oak bedframes. Her bed was the second closest to the small fireplace that warmed the room, and Mara Selwyn's bed was next to hers.

Suri pulled back the heavy, grey comforters from her bed and ran her hand over the cream-colored sheets beneath it-the sheets were some of the softest material she had ever felt, which surprised her because her Granna spared no expense for comfortable linens.

She explored the rest of the dormitory with Mara and the other first-year girl, Carly Davis. Since only three girls had been sorted in Slytherin, the girls were asked to move into the dormitory with the second-year girls.

The space in the dormitory allowed each girl to have her own bedside table, armoire, and vanity set. Suri glanced at her reflection in the full-length mirror that hung on the inside of her armoire before she closed it; she wondered if other house dorms were as opulent at Slytherin's.

"I guess this is kind of like home," said Carly, running a finger over her nightstand as if checking for dust.

"It's much better than expected," Mara agreed.

Suri listened to the girls talk about what they had at home as she began to unpack. Apparently Carly was used to more closet space, as well as warmer temperatures compared to the consistently cool temperatures of the Slytherin Dungeons.

"You'll get used to it," promised Gemma Farley, a second year with a surprisingly kind smile. She had ushered the other second-year girls out of the dorm to allow Suri, Mara, and Carly a chance to explore the new space on their own.

"What about you, Suri? What do you think?"

She glanced up at Mara, pausing from her unpacking. She sat on her bed and thought for a moment. "I think I'll miss my window," she observed, glancing at the small circular window high above her nightstand. The window was sealed shut and most likely charmed to remain strong against the waters of the Great Lake.

"Your window?" Carly raised a red eyebrow that was a couple shades lighter than her curly red hair.

"Yes," Suri smiled. "I could see everything from my window. I'll definitely miss that."

"Where are you from?"

"Vienna."

"Isn't that closer to Beauxbatons?"

"Yeah," Suri shrugged a shoulder, "I chose between there and Hogwarts."

Mara snorted. "Seems like you picked wrong. I heard Beauxbatons is smaller and classes don't start before ten in the morning. _And_ they have someone singing to you during mealtimes!"

"Maybe," Suri giggled, "I'll have to check with my friends who are there now, but I like Hogwarts just fine. It seems fine so far."

This time it was Carly's turn to scoff. "Sure," she said, "if you like sharing space with mudbloods. Thank _Merlin_ that Slytherin doesn't have any of _those_ here."

Suri twitched at the word when she noticed Mara watching her reaction.

"Don't tell me you're a _mudblood_ lover, Suri," Mara sneered. Suri decided she liked the girl's bored expression better than her sneer. "With your names Roiser and Black, I'd be very surprised if you were."

"Well, I don't know any, er, muggle-born witches or wizards," Suri answered carefully. All of her friends back home were either pureblood like her, or half-bloods. That wasn't because of prejudice, though, it simply was due to the nature of the town she lived in.

"Good," Mara said, nodding with approval.

"But if I did, I think I would care a little more about what kind of friend they were more than their blood," Suri finished.

Mara narrowed her eyes before she rolled them. Her gaze then found one of the books Suri had unpacked, and she smiled, and not in a kind way.

"A children's book, _really_?" Carly giggled lightly, watching the exchange.

Suri looked down at the book beside her. _Earth and Stars_ was her favorite childhood story about a princess who had lost her wealth and became a servant, and fell in love with a humble boy who turned out to be a prince. It was an echo of a memory that reminder her to be both noble and humble.

Rising to her feet, she lifted her chin slightly, feeling taller than she really was, and smiled in a way that suggested a challenge. "Of course, haven't you read it before? It's a great story about the types of people we should be."

"And what type of person are you?" Mara asked, her blue eyes trained on Suri's.

She smiled still, and touched her necklace beneath her robes. Maybe it was her smile or the narrowing of her grey-blue eyes that made Mara look away, and Suri knew she had won the battle for now. "You said it yourself, Selwyn. I'm a Rosier _and_ a Black. What kind of person do you _think_ that makes me?"

Of course she knew the history her names carried. As part of preparation for attending Hogwarts, Granna had made sure she knew the history of the aristocratic families that were believed to be part of "the Sacred Twenty-Eight", as they were historically called.

The air in the dormitory changed. Suri's last names carried more weight than Mara's, even though Selwyn was among the families listed as being pure. She could almost hear Carly think of ways to stay on her good side since Davis was not among the most noble names.

"You're alright, Selwyn," Suri said, gathering her pajamas and heading for the bathroom to get ready for bed. She hardly gave the girl a second glance.

"You're alright too," Mara said to her retreating back. However, Suri was certain Mara Selwyn would be someone she wouldn't fully like.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry it's taken me a while to post a chapter! Truth be told, the reason it takes me a while to post is because I don't like being bent in front of my laptop for very long. I have a desk job (for the most part) and it gives me headaches to stare at a screen for so long. So thanks for your patience! I've not given up on Suri! :)**

 **Also, the the reviewer who remembers me from Quizilla! Wow, haha I'm impressed you found me! Currently, I do not have a private/public e-mail that I share with readers, however, if you make an account, I am always willing to answer messages via fanfiction. Thanks :)**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	5. Nathaniel Avery & Mara Selwyn

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 5: Nathaniel Avery & Mara Selwyn

 ***Author Note: GUYS! I completely _forgot_ to post a chapter! So if you've recently read another "chapter 5" I have since deleted it, to post this one instead. If this is your first time reading chapter 5 of OEaS, then, disregard this and continue reading! Thanks! : )**

* * *

 _October 1988_

"What are you doing?"

Suri turned to focus on the boy talking to her. It was Nathaniel Avery—or Nate, as he introduced himself earlier in September. He walked up to where she stood by one of the ceiling-to-floor windows that was usually obscured by thick green drapes. Suri had pushed it back to look at the Great Lake that filled the majority of the view.

The look in his hazel eyes told Suri that he judged her staring out the window.

"Listening," Suri answered when Nate stood next to her.

"To what, the mermaids? Hideous creatures." Nate grimaced at the thought, and Suri rolled her eyes.

"Yes, the mermaids," she said, turning her attention back to the window. She had not seen Nate approach, but now it made sense why the mermaid who floated in front of her suddenly swam away.

"Why?" Nate frowned, clearly bored by the vacant view.

"When you listen, they sing," Suri answered. "I can't quite make out the words, but their voices are lovely."

Suri perked up when the mermaid girl she watched earlier tentatively swam back. The mergirl, who appeared to be their age, looked at Nate warily.

"It's okay, don't be frightened," Suri murmured, putting a hand to the window, hoping the mergirl would trust her smile.

The mergirl swam closer, her lips stretched in a close-lipped smile as she put her webbed fingers against the window, her fingers longer than Suri's.

"Boo!" Nate made a face at the mergirl.

"Nate!" Suri pushed at his shoulder, and the mergirl hissed with indignation, baring her sharp teeth before she swiftly swam away.

"Why did you do that?!" Suri demanded, her hands balling into fists as Nate laughed and closed the curtains.

"I'm sorry, Suri, I really am, that was mean," he said. He then laughed again.

"You don't seem very sorry."

"Yes, I get a kick out of being mean to creatures," Nate said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Suri, you should be talking to _other people_ not befriending mermaids."

"Not when the people around me are such ugly toads." Suri narrowed her grey-blue eyes and stormed off. She sat heavily into the cushions of a couch in front of the grand fireplace and crossed her arms.

There was a moment of silence before Suri sensed Nate walk over to her and sit next to her on the couch. Frowning, she turned her head away from him, keeping her arms crossed.

"You don't like Slytherin very much, do you?"

Grudgingly, Suri turned her attention to Nate. She searched his eyes, and before she realized, she had made her way into his mind. From him, she picked up feelings of offense and a genuine curiosity to understand her. Slowly, Suri's shoulders sagged as she pulled out of Nate's thoughts as easy as he closed the curtains on the mermaid.

"I do…" she noticed Nate made a face and she frowned again. "I guess, Slytherin's fine. I get along with Gemma Farley, the second-year, and my fifth-year sponsor Isabella Li is great too-"

"And I'm great," Nate interjected. He raised his eyebrows, so obviously fishing for a compliment that Suri had to smile.

"Nate the great," Suri responded drily, earning a chuckle from the boy. She sighed. "I guess there are a couple good people, but there are a few people I don't care to make friends with."

Nate leaned back against the couch and was silent. After a moment's pause he spoke. "You know, my uncle always says to keep our friends close, but keep an even closer eye on our enemy. With your attitude, you're bound to keep everyone away."

"I don't have a bad attitude!"

"You act like you're better than the rest of us, and not in a good way," said Nate. Suri opened her mouth to protest, but Nate held up a hand.

"I mean, it's been a bit of a shock to the lot of us that a Rosier-Black has shown up after most of our families have heard the last remaining Rosiers and Blacks are either dead, in Azkaban, or have gone into hiding. Now that you're here, of course people are going to act more stuck up than usual. The Rosier and Black families are kind of like the Nott, Malfoy, and Lestrange families: incredibly rich, powerful, and prideful. They're trying to scare you. You're doing too good of a job at keeping people away when you could easily sway people just by your names alone."

Suri narrowed her eyes. "You know a lot about family history, Nate."

"I know history and pureblood families, my mother made sure of that," Nate grimaced. "It's kind of a sore subject, really."

"I'm sorry." Suri watched the boy next to her as he looked at her intently. She shifted her gaze for a moment and looked back up, only to find he was still watching her, too. He looked like he had something more to say on the matter of pureblood families, but she wouldn't press him.

"It's not your fault," said Nate. "Anyway, that's okay if you don't like Slytherin-"

"I don't dislike it," Suri protested.

"We're not like other houses," Nate continued. "Not everyone gets along here, and it's important to make sure you have the right friends."

" _That's_ the problem! I don't want to be something I'm not to make " _the right_ " friends!" Suri moved her fingers in the air like quotation marks.

"That's a hard bargain," said Nate. He laughed when Suri put her head in her hands irritably. "Hey."

Suri looked up at Nate, and he offered her a smile—a real one. "If you're real with me, I'll be real with you. I'll even help you know what you need to know about the other Slytherins and their families. I like you, Suri. There's something about you that makes me think we could be great friends."

Suri inhaled and exhaled slowly. Nate's hazel eyes were hard to read, but he didn't seem to be making fun of her in any way. Beneath that, Suri was also surprised to find that there was something about him that made her like him too.

"Alright," Suri agreed. "Friends." After a month of acting more arrogant than she wanted to be, she could use someone to be honest with.

"Friends," Nate agreed-and his shoulders relaxed, as if he were the one fearing rejection or misplaced trust.

"And since we're friends," Nate continued, "I heard the team is out practicing today, if we hurry we can catch them."

"You like quidditch too?" Suri bounced excitedly to her feet at and ran a hand through her thick waves.

"Yeah, I can't wait until next year to try-out for keeper! Let's go!"

Suri smiled as she and Nate ran out of the Slytherin Common Room for the quidditch field. Suri decided that maybe not all was lost here in the house known for its affiliation with dark magic.

 **X**

Suri and Nate climbed the bleachers to the very top where Mara was sitting with other first years, necks craned to the sky as the Slytherin quidditch players raced overhead in pairs and intervals.

Nate ushered Suri forward so that she sat between him and Mara who shared a blanket with Carly Davis.

"Come on, Davis, pass the blanket this way," Nate demanded, leaning over Suri for Carly's attention. "There's more than enough for all of us."

Carly and Mara exchanged looks and Mara puffed out a sigh to share the thick wool blanket. Suri rolled her eyes at the girl as she tucked the blanket over her knees while still leaving enough for Nate.

"He's rather cute, isn't he," said Mara as a third year boy with dark hair flew across the field.

"What's his name again," asked Carla.

"Marcus Flint."

Suri made a face that suggested he was anything _but_ attractive. "I mean, if you're into mountain trolls…"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean," Mara asked, her watery blue eyes fixed on Suri angrily.

"That he has absolutely no brains at all," Suri clarified. She watched as Marcus steered his broom back into formation with the rest of the team, and the chasers began passing a quaffle back and forth.

"Sorry, Selwyn," said Nate, "I have to agree with Suri on this one."

Mara huffed angrily. "Then who would _you_ fancy, Suri?"

"I don't know," Suri flipped her hair over her shoulder and leaned back against the cold metal railing of the bleachers, engrossed in the training style. "Probably someone who doesn't need to pay a _first year_ to do their assignments."

"That was one time," said Willem Thorne, a dark-skinned first year sitting next to Carly. He frowned when everyone giggled at his indignation.

"They don't play very nice," Suri murmured, watching as Marcus shoved his own teammate to take possession of the quaffle-they weren't even competing against each other.

"They don't," Nate agreed, his eyes narrowed and watchful. "But I heard they're a pretty good team."

"I heard Gryffindor was a good time," said Suri, remembering Oliver's confidence in his house's abilities. She wondered if he made the team.

"Their seeker, Charlie Weasley is good," said Nate, he then grimaced. "He's good for a muggle-lover. Aside from him, none of the other teams can do what ours can do."

"I'm excited for the game," said Mara. "Slytherin's first game is next week against Gryffindor. The schedule originally had Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, but Ravenclaw asked for a re-schedule because-"

"Ravenclaw sucks," both Mara and Suri said in unison. The two girls looked at each other. Suri was the first to offer a smile, and Mara returned it, lifting the tension between them.

The first years made commentary on the rest of practice, and cheered encouragingly when the team ended practice with a scrimmage game. Watching Slytherin practice once again reminded Suri of Oliver wanting to try out for Gryffindor. She hoped he made the team.

"You'd better come up with cheers for the game," said Marcus Flint at the end of practice, showing off as he flew his broom low over the first years' heads.

"We'll think of something," Mara promised and smiled, she then turned swiftly on Suri. "Don't say anything Rosier-Black."

"I wasn't going to," Suri laughed, "anything I would say, no matter how simple, would have to be watered down for that troll to understand." She was surprised when she earned laughs from all the first years but Mara.

Nate was the first to rise, dramatically tossing the blanket from his legs. "I'm confident that we'll win next week. In the meantime," he raised his eyebrows conspiratorially, "what are we doing for the rest of the weekend?"

"We have that Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment," Willem offered, "we could finish that early."

"Nope," Nate said, giving his friend a thumbs down. "Any other ideas?"

Suri's blue-grey eyes brightened. "There are at least seven levels to this castle, I think we should explore."

"Now that's a winner," said Nate as he offered a hand to Suri to help her stand. "Any other takers?"

"Count me in," said Mara, standing with Nate and Suri while Carly and Willem made weak protests.

Suri's eyebrows raised quickly before she arrange her face back into a neutral expression. She still wasn't sure about Mara, but if Mara would make effort toward being her friend, then Suri would make effort too.

The trio parted ways with their first-year housemates and climbed down the bleachers.

"Hey, where are you going," asked Mara when they passed the locker rooms and Suri paused before she ran in the other direction.

A large bulletin board had caught her attention. Behind the locked glass were four pieces of parchment with the names of the students from each house on their team's rosters. She quickly scanned through Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin before she made it to Gryffindor. Listed under keeper was Oliver Wood, second year starter. She smiled to herself, feeling an unexpected amount of pride for the first person who talked to her during her Hogwarts journey.

"Hey, Suri, anyone home," Nate called.

"Coming!" Suri called back and jogged over to them, her wild black curls flying free behind her. Both Nate and Mara gave her a look as though they expected an answer.

"I met a boy on the Express," Suri explained, "he ended up being a Gryffindor, and he talked as though he was good enough to play for his house. Turns out he was right."

"Well, it doesn't matter how good he is," said Mara. "They'll still lose."

"Who was it," asked Nate.

"Oliver Wood," Suri answered. She then shrugged her shoulders, shrugging off their impending questions and comments. She knew Mara would ask if she fancied him, and Nate would make a snide remark about their rival house.

So instead, Suri smiled impishly, her eyes bright with playfulness. "Let's explore shall we? We'll work from the ground up!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **To the reviewer who said they feel like they owe me Starbucks-thank you! I so appreciate the kind thought. Instead, I encourage you to pay it forward (treat a random stranger)-I would definitely love that!**

 **Don't worry, friends, I'm still working on this story! :)**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	6. Perspective

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 6: Perspective

* * *

 _November 1988_

Suri sat at the library with her legs propped on the corner of one of the large ancient tables balancing a thick hardcover book on her lap as a surface for her to write her transfiguration essay. So far, Suri had learned that Professor McGonagall was no joke when it came to assignments, and she wanted an essay _precisely_ one foot in length; anything less would earn a failing grade. With a huff, she swung her legs off the table and reached into her book bag for her measuring tape and held it against the length of her essay. She smiled; her work was thirteen and a half inches.

Suri noted the time on the large clock behind the librarian's desk. If she hurried, she could still make it to supper with twenty minutes to spare. Quickly she whipped her belongings into her bookbag and left the hardcover book out for last. This book was the real reason she begged off Nate and Mara from their nightly homework session; she wanted to see this book on her own. Suri ran her fingers over the engraved cover-it was a yearbook from 1971.

In 1971 Sirius Black and Contessa Rosier were first years. Suri smiled at the black and white image of Tessa, which she looked at first. Tessa smiled brightly as she waved up at her. Suri thought her mother at her age was cute, especially by the way her smile seemed so welcoming. She flipped back a couple pages and giggled at young Sirius's photo as he gave her a smirk and cooly nodded his head at her. Suri flipped between the photographs, noticing look in her parents eyes. Both Tessa's and Sirius's expressions seemed to shine with passion, but where Tessa appeared open and accepting, there was a layered mystery behind Sirius, as though he kept the world at arm's length. As always, Suri drank in the images, staring until her parents walked out of their small photos, to go wherever it is people in photos went. As always, Suri looked for herself in Tessa and Sirius and found herself in Sirius's artfully mussed hair, and the point of her chin and the shape of her lips were Tessa's.

With great care, Suri took the yearbook back to the archives section of the library. As she left the library, she noticed someone sitting by himself in the quidditch section, thumbing through what looked like a book dedicated to Puddlemere United, a decent quidditch team.

"Oliver!" Suri said brightly, and flinched when she earned a harsh shush from the librarian.

Oliver looked up as Suri raised a finger to her lips and made a shushing sound back at the librarian. The librarian was definitely unamused by her. Suri then offered the librarian an apologetic smile, and the librarian rolled her eyes, and Suri liked to believe she noticed the slightest smile from the older witch. Suri had a theory that one could minimize almost any consequence as long as one smiled.

"Hey," Oliver answered. He gave her a short nod before he continued to flip through his book. Suri raised an eyebrow at him, getting the sense he was trying to dismiss her without saying so. His passiveness both stung and annoyed her all at once. In response, Suri pulled out the extra chair at the table and sat, putting her chin in her hand.

"I heard you made the team as a keeper," said Suri, and Oliver breathed out once, pulling his brown gaze away from the book to meet her eyes.

"Yeah," he said.

"Congratulations," said Suri, and a corner of Oliver's lips turned up at the recognition.

"Thanks," he said, his tone almost bashful. "There were a lot of other good players too."

"I'm sure there were, but they thought you were the best. That's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Er, thank you," Oliver said again, running a hand through his short brown hair.

"So you're a Puddlemere fan," Suri continued, noting Oliver's fidgeting.

"Totally," Oliver answered. "I thought I'd look through this book for inspiration."

"That makes sense," Suri agreed. A pause hung in the air between them long enough to become awkward.

"So," Oliver started, "is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Help me?" Suri's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "Like I'm a charity case?"

"No, er, it's not that," Oliver rubbed the back of his neck as if he wondered how it got to this point.

"I just thought I'd say hi andwish you luck on the game," said Suri, rising to her feet. She huffed out an angry breath and lowered her voice so she wouldn't make the librarian mad again. "Especially because whenever I say hello to you in the halls now, you barely look at me."

"Well…" Oliver closed his book and pushed it away from him. "I'm sorry for doing that it's just—"

"I'm a Slytherin," asked Suri, putting a hand on her hip. "Because we're rival houses? Or is it because of my last name?" Just last week she heard a seventh-year Ravenclaw whisper that she shouldn't be allowed to learn magic, especially after what her father did to those muggles seven years ago. No one cared that her mother was a good person and earned the Order of Merlin: First Class after she died fighting Death Eaters.

"Your last name? No!" Oliver's eyes widened momentarily. "I mean, I've _heard_ about your dad after you got here, but I still thought you were the right sort because I thought I'd gotten to know you on the Express." Oliver blew out a heavy breath. "I guess it's the Slytherin thing. I mean, I thought for sure you'd be in Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff at least, but you ended up _there._ And, we're playing Slytherin this weekend and you could be a spy."

"A _spy_ ," Suri's storm-colored eyes widened at Oliver's accusation. "You think _Slytherin_ sent me here to talk to you to find out information for the game?!"

"It sounds daft when you say it out loud," Oliver mumbled and chuckled nervously. His laughter eased Suri's frustration and soon they both were laughing over the ridiculous situation.

"SHH!" The librarian glared at the pair and Suri clamped her hand over her mouth to quiet her laughter and Oliver did the same.

"That doesn't seem like a bad idea," Suri finally said, "but lucky for you I'm not a spy."

"That's good."

Suri almost laughed out loud when she noticed Oliver's shoulders visibly relax. "So you really stopped talking to me because I was sorted into Slytherin?"

The silence that followed was loud and clea. A part of her was incredibly impressed that he was so dedicated to Gryffindor, and another part of her, the irritated part, rolled her eyes. "You know," said Suri, "the Hat considered putting me in Gryffindor, but decided against it at the last second."

" _Why_?!" Oliver gave her a look of pure shock, as if he couldn't understand why anyone would pick Slytherin over Gryffindor.

Suri worried her bottom lip, she wondered if she should tell him the truth—that she attempted to use occlumency when the Hat probed her mind because she was afraid it would see her secrets. Finally, she shrugged. "I guess the Hat thought I'd do best there."

"Gryffindor would have been a better choice," he answered, his tone playful.

"Oliver, you know you're allowed to have friends in other houses, right?"

He grunted in response and Suri sighed. She thought she had made a friend on the Express, and she realized that maybe it wasn't meant to be. Suri turned the corners of her lips up, instead, and nodded at Oliver.

"Well, enjoy your book," she said and backed away. "Good luck at the game on Saturday."

"Suri!" Oliver whisper-yelled her name, and Suri turned around, cocking her head to the side.

"You'll be there," he asked, "at the game on Saturday?"

"I will."

"Good," he said, his smile was bashful. "I mean, you'll be there for Slytherin, but it's my first game, and I guess…" Oliver trailed off and Suri noticed the blood rush up his neck all the way to his hairline. His bashfulness brought a blush to her cheeks.

"I'll probably wear my Slytherin scarf," said Suri, "but I think cheering for friends is more important than cheering for a team."

He nodded at her, and Suri smiled before she quickly exited the library, her heart hammering beneath her necklace.

After a quick supper in the Great Hall, Suri returned to the Slytherin Dungeon where she found Nate, Mara, Gemma, and a few upperclassmen girls sitting together by the fire.

Mara looked up when she came in. "Where've you been?"

"Finishing that ridiculous essay for transfiguration," Suri answered, depositing her bookbag against the couch before sitting beside Isabelle Yi, her fifth-year sponsor who had a booked propped open on her lap. "What are looking at?"

Isabelle, was a lovely pureblood girl with light brown almond shaped eyes, porcelain skin, and long dark hair. Along with her beauty, she was incredibly smart and incredibly devoted to her parents' beliefs in pureblood supremacy. She was also incredibly kind to Suri.

"She's looking up the ingredients for amortentia," Nate supplied when Isabelle took too long to answer.

"Nathaniel," Isabelle scolded, frowning at him, her face turning red. Nate only rolled his eyes, unperturbed by his blunt manner.

"Amortentia?" Suri frowned. "Isn't that a love potion?"

Isabelle nodded. "It doesn't seem too hard to make," she caught Suri's dubious look as she scanned the long list of ingredients and even longer list of instructions, and quickly added "for me, at least. It wouldn't be too hard for me to make."

"I don't get why you need one," Suri said. "Is it for that seventh year Ravenclaw boy? The one with the bright green eyes and nice smile?"

"Byron Thorne? Yes." Even saying his name caused Isabelle's blush to deepen.

"You'll understand when you have a crush, Suri" Mara said in a tone one would use to talk to young children. She smirked when a couple girls tittered.

"I'd get why some girls feel the need to use a love potion—"

" _Or_ boys," Nate interjected.

"Right, or boys," Suri continued coolly. She ran a hand through her long wavy tousles and returned Mara's jeering smile. "Some people lack important qualities that make some potions necessary, but Isabelle, you are not one of those people."

Mara glowered when Suri's comment earned more laughs.

"Thank you for thinking so, Suri," said Isabelle, "but Byron hasn't noticed me and I've tried everything." She sighed heavily. "I love him more than anything, and this is the only way." The girl scanned the ingredients again, "a lot of these are easy to come by, and easy to purchase from the apothecary at Hogsmeade. The only ingredient I couldn't find would be Ashwinder egg."

"I'm sure Snape has some in his supply closet," Nate said.

"But Professor Snape isn't likely to offer such a rare ingredient to even his best seventh year student," Gemma Farley pointed out.

"How much of the ingredient do you really need? The potion calls for three tablespoons of powdered Ashwinder egg. Snape doesn't have to know it's missing."

All eyes turned to Suri.

"Are you suggesting pinching from a professor," asked Mara, she looked at Gemma as if asking the girl to stop it, but Gemma's expression remained neutral.

" _Borrowing_ ," Suri clarified. "Because technically, it's not leaving school property."

"Who's small enough to get into Snap's supplies without being noticed," asked Isabelle.

Once again, all eyes turned to Suri, who was, by a mere inch, the shortest of the group.

"You could get in a lot of trouble," said Gemma, as the voice of reason.

"If I were to do it, I would only be in trouble if I got caught."

"I shouldn't encourage you to steal," Isabelle frowned, but she looked at Suri with a hopeful expression. "If you did this for me, I would owe you for the rest of my life. You would be doing me a huge favor."

"I don't know," Suri answered. "Professor Snape has some weird hatred toward me, and I wouldn't want to risk getting caught."

"I understand," Isabelle said. "It is a nice thought, though."

The group of girls dispersed after they realized Isabelle wouldn't be able to make the love potion. Suri smiled apologetically at her sponsor as she got up from the couch. Mara also got up to leave and Nate yanked her arm, making her sit back down, leaving the three of them in front of the fire.

"What," Mara asked, annoyed.

"If all three of us sneak into Snape's supply closet, we could get the ingredients," Nate whispered conspiratorially.

"Why me," asked Mara, looking between Nate and Suri.

"One person to get into the supply closet, one person to be a lookout, and one person to distract Snape. It's foolproof."

"Nate, I don't know," said Suri. "I really don't think Isabelle needs a love potion."

"She's your sponsor, Suri," said Nate, "and wouldn't it be nice to help her?"

Suri grumbled a consenting response. "Fine," she said, "but we tell _no one_. We'll only tell Isabelle after we successfully get the ashwinder egg." Both Suri and Nate looked at Mara.

Mara twirled a strand of her blonde hair around her finger before throwing her hands up dramatically. "The best time would be during the game between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Even Snape is likely to go to that."

"Then it's settled, Saturday is the day," said Nate.

"Agreed," Suri answered, and she bounced in her seat with the excitement of mischief.

 **X**

The week passed quickly, and by the time Saturday arrived the whole school was excited for the first quidditch game of the year: Slytherin versus Gryffindor.

Back in the dormitories, Suri pulled on her favorite black jumper patterned with small red rosebuds. She surveyed her reflection in the mirror, admiring the way her eyes popped whenever she wore dark colors. She ran her hands over the soft, thin material of her sleeves before she shrugged on the layers of a thicker black coat and her Slytherin scarf. She would be sitting at Slytherin's section in the stands today, but she figured the red on her jumper was enough to remind her to cheer for Oliver every now and again.

"Suri!" Mara called before she appeared in the dormitory. Mara also wore her Slytherin scarf and a knitted silver beanie with green stripes. "We have to get going!"

"Right." Suri felt a knot of excitement in the pit of her stomach as the two girls raced down the stairs to find Nate.

"Save us a seat," Nate said to Carly and Willem as they left with the rest of the Slytherins for the game.

"Where are you going?" Carly asked, looking at Suri and Mara.

"Mara left her bookbag in the library yesterday," Suri said and gave Mara a look.

"Yeah," Mara continued smoothly. "I need to know that I have it safely with me before I go to the game."

"Suit yourself," Willem said as he and Carly left. Finally, it was just Nate, Mara, and Suri left in the common room.

"Here's the plan," Suri said, looking around to make sure they were alone. "Nate, you're going to distract Snape and get him to go in the other direction. Mara will be my lookout. I'll be in and out of the supply closet faster than you can say "quidditch".

 **X**

"There's Snape!" Mara whispered as they three stuck close to pillars and corners while making their sneaky descent to the potions dungeon.

Sure enough, Severus Snape, potions master, briskly walked down the hall. Nate took a deep breath and whispered to his friends "wish me luck" before he casually came around the corner and Suri and Mara hid behind a large pillar.

"Professor Snape!"

"Mr. Avery," Snape acknowledged.

"Are you on your way to the quidditch game," Nate asked. Snape gave Nate a look and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Nate continued on. "I am too! I'll walk with you! I have a few questions about the potion you recently lectured on…."

"I think you're clear," Mara whispered as Nate's voice trailed away from the potions dungeons. "We have fifteen minutes until the game starts."

"I only need five!" Suri promised as she darted from behind the pillar toward Snape's classroom, trusting that Mara.

Entering the large empty classroom, Suri made her way to the supply closet and tugged on the handle. Locked.

"Alohamora," Suri murmured, pointing her wand at the door. There was a soft _click_ as the lock sprung open from the inside.

The closet was lined with incredibly tall shelves and everything was well organized. "Ashwinder egg, ashwinder egg..." Suri murmured under her breath searching each labeled container. She was careful to listen for Mara's signal—a loud sneeze—in case someone was coming.

"There you are!" Suri quickly pulled down a jar with gray powdery substance labeled "ASHWINDER EGG". Moving quickly, Suri pulled out a bit of parchment she had fashioned into an envelope and carefully dumped three tablespoons worth of the substance into the envelope before tucking it away.

"Alright," Suri put the jar back into place and turned to leave. As she did so, two items caught her attention. One was a jar of small, smooth stones, and another was a bunch of dried lavender hanging from the wall. She took one of the stones, pocketed it, and a bit of lavender before closing the closet door behind her.

" _Colloportus_ ," Suri pointed her wand at the door and heard the lock click into place. She managed her stealthy feat in less than three minutes. Rushing from the closet, Suri pulled the classroom door shut, rounded the corner and came to a full halt in her tracks.

"P-Professor Snape!" Suri looked up to see the potions master. He looked down at her over his hooked nose, glaring at her with his dark eyes.

Suri felt the lavender in her hand shoot out from her grasp and Snape caught that in the air.

"Why is it, Miss Rosier-Black, that you're down here looking for lavender when all of your friends are at the game?" Snape's voice managed to be even and condescending.

"I er, needed it for a personal issue," Suri murmured, she looked down at her feet and glanced into Snape's eyes, determined not to show fear.

Snape raised an eyebrow, waiting for further explanation.

"I get nervous, sometimes," Suri explained, "you know, during exams and sometimes in general, and lavender soothes me. I put it in my tea or under my pillow." All of this was true.

"And it seemed best to steal it from my supply closet as opposed to visiting the infirmary for your... _issues_?" Snape asked.

He made it sound like she was crazy, and something about his stare made her uncomfortable. Because of it, she exhaled heavily, simultaneously imagining a heavy curtain closing in her mind, shielding her every thought.

"It know, Professor," Suri continued, "and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stolen it. It's just something I'd rather my friends not know about me."

"Clearly," Snape said drily, "the offspring isn't much different from its origin. Detention for three days—"

"What? You knew my parents?" Suri's eyebrows shot up. "And _three days_ of detention for a bit of lavender?!"

"I had the displeasure of knowing both of your parents. Your mother was prideful and meddlesome, but nowhere near as conceited as your father who believed he could do anything without a care for what happened to those around him. You are just the same, taking without a care that the world does not belong to you. _One week_ of detention, Rosier-Black."

Stunned by his insults against her family, anger uncurled in the pit of her stomach. She had heard people speak of Tessa Rosier as headstrong and popular, and she had heard Sirius Black would do anything for his friends. Aside from her father, she had never heard anyone speak as if they Contessa Rosier and Sirius Black personally.

"Follow me," Snape barked, snapping Suri from her thoughts. "Detention starts today."

"But the game," Suri protested lamely, as she hurried to keep up with Snape as he stalked out of the dungeons.

"Your point being?"

She kept her mouth shut as followed Snape up to the first floor, past the Great Hall and to the hospital wing, thinking of every great insult she knew.

"Madam Pomfrey," Snape called, his voice more controlled when calling for the school's matron.

"Severus?" Madam Pomfrey questioned, coming out from behind a door that led to her office. She looked at Suri and back at her colleague.

Snape pointed a finger at Suri, and it was all she could do but roll her eyes at his dramatics. "Miss Rosier-Black was found stealing from my personal supply closet, and she has earned a week of detention. Her time might be best spent here, and maybe she can find a cure for her... _issues_." Snape glared down at her.

"My issues," Suri muttered, her voice tight, her mind on fire. Equally, she wanted to yell at Snape as well as ask him questions about his relationship with her parents. She wondered if his relationship with them had anything to do with the way he seemed to detest her.

"I hardly think a week's worth of detention with _me_ would be necessary," Madam Pomfrey said as she wrung her hands looking around the hospital. She then noticed the exchanged glares between Snape and Suri and she nodded once. "But I will find some use for her."

Snape gave the woman a curt nod before he turned on his heel and stalked away.

Suri stared after him, and made a face at his back before he left.

"Well now," said Pomfrey, looking at Suri. "A week is a long time."

"Too long," Suri agreed.

"Then I will cut your time to about an hour a day. You'll be more in my way than a help," Pomfrey decided. Her tone was not unkind. Suri noticed the way Pomfrey picked invisible lint from her robes and kept everything in the infirmary in an orderly manner. It seemed like unless one was a fully-trained healer and highly familiar with this hospital wing, they would always get in Pomfrey's way.

Suri frowned when she heard the cheers from the stadiums. The game would start in ten minutes and she wasn't there. As unhappy as she was to miss the game, she breathed a sigh of relief while patting her pockets. She still had the small stone and the ashwinder egg; she was glad Snape hadn't found those.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **To those of you who read this chapter already when it was chapter 5-sorry for confusion! I _knew_ something was off, and I'm kind of ashamed of how long it took me to realize I was missing a full chapter! Now that things are in order, I hope my mix-up doesn't deter you from this story! SO MANY things are in store for Suri! : )**

 ****ALSO** similar to _Thorns_ , this story will also feature time-skips with the intention of going through the years. Some years will be more important than others, hence less time intervals, and some years will be less important, which will demonstrate longer intervals!**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	7. The Ones Who Help Us

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 7: The Ones Who Help Us

* * *

 _November 1988_

"...you tuck the corner like so...and that's it. Did you get that, Miss Rosier-Black?" Madame Pomfrey ran a hand over a newly made hospital bed, smoothing out invisible creases from her well-performed job.

Both Suri and Pomfrey gave each other dubious looks. Clearly, Pomfrey did not want her there, as she wasn't fond of assistants in her healing domain, and Suri had no desire to be there for detention.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," Suri sighed looking at the nineteen unmade beds that remained. She had watched Pomfrey strip all of the beds of their old linens in a matter of seconds with a wave of her wand, so she knew the beds could be made with a single charm as well. For detention, she was asked to make the rest of the beds without magic.

"Well, I can't have you poking about through my things," Pomfrey said waving her wand. From a closet a backroom, nineteen clean sets of bed sheets and blankets floated into the room and fell into neat piles on each bed, waiting for Suri to get started.

"This should keep you occupied." Pomfrey then walked away, running her fingers over footboards, checking for dust that wouldn't be there.

With a heavy sigh, Suri pulled her long hair into a ponytail, shrugged off her black outer coat and Slytherin scarf, and got to work. She bit her tongue, annoyed by the cheers she heard from the quidditch field, signaling the start of the game. She was missing the first game, and the most important game of the season.

Time passed quickly as she mentally called professor Snape and Mara every dirty name she knew while she made the bed. Pomfrey had wandered back over to inspect Suri's work. The older witch checked every tucked corner and the fluffed pillow before nodding once.

"That'll do," Pomfrey stated without a smile. Suri refrained from rolling her eyes; she knew she had made the bed _exactly_ as Pomfrey had showed her.

Loud exclamations and the shrill sound of a whistle blowing caught her attention as both she and Pomfrey looked out the window. Suri groaned in frustration as she moved on to the next bed, angrily shaking out the sheets.

"If you ask me," Pomfrey said while she moved about the hospital wing, straightening vases and adjusting curtains, "quidditch season is my least favorite time of the school year."

"Do you ever get go to the games?"

"Absolutely not," Pomfrey answered. "I'm not fond of watching students knock each other off brooms just for a few house points. Those students will later be in my care because of their violence, and I would never leave a patient in need!"

"I guess so," answered Suri, a slight smile on her face as she tucked a corner of the sheet beneath another mattress. In spite of the situation, she decided that she liked the school's matron, even if the older woman seemed to be somewhat anxious on a regular basis. Pomfrey seemed like someone who deeply cared for the students without judgment.

"Not to mention the racket," Pomfrey continued from a backroom, "do you know how hard it is to nurse patients back to health when all that quidditch noise is going on outside?"

"I can't imagine—"

The doors to the infirmary banged open, cutting Suri off. A mass of red and gold robes levitated into the room followed by a worried looking McGonagall with her wand raised, then by a girl wearing Gryffindor colors and a middle-aged witch and wizard. Trailing behind them was Professor Dumbledore, sweeping his wand back and forth.

Suri looked at the floating mass of red and gold and realized it was a body dripping a trail of blood.

"Madame Pomfrey," McGonagall greeted, her voice tight with worry. "Oliver Wood was injured during the game."

"Oliver?" A weight like a stone sunk in the pit of Suri's stomach.

"Put the boy on the bed," Pomfrey directed, indicating the bed Suri had just made. "Miss Rosier-Black, I need you to fill a basin of hot water from the back room and bring it here with a handful of clean towels. Quickly."

"Okay." She hurried away from the commotion to the room she saw Pomfrey disappear into earlier. The room was half the size of the outer infirmary. It was lined with wooden shelves that held a variety of different herbs, potions, and other medical paraphernalia that Suri couldn't name. In the corner of the room was a large sink with a metal basin beside it. Moving quickly, she tucked several towels under her arm while the basin filled to the brim with hot water and hurried back to the cluster of people.

In her rush, Suri felt her foot slip from underneath; she winced as hot water sloshed onto her arms in the effort to steady her balance. Setting the basin and towels on the bedside table, Suri looked down and paled, realizing she had slipped on Oliver's blood.

"Excuse me, my dear."

Professor Dumbledore went around the bed, sweeping his wand back and forth, using a charm that made the blood and the water she had spilled disappear, leaving the floor dry and shiny.

"Please stand out of the way so I can examine the boy," Pomfrey directed, and everyone took a few steps back.

Pomfrey pulled out a small vial from her apron and sprinkled a few drops into the water. The water turned a light shade of blue, and Pomfrey dipped a towel into the mixture and dabbed it around Oliver's gash. She had removed his quidditch robe, jersey, and undershirt, leaving his chest bare. The hair on one side of Oliver's head was dark with blood, and a line of fresh blood trickled from his wound, down his neck, and pooled against the curve of his collarbone. He remained unresponsive as Pomfrey wiped away the blood.

Suri averted her gaze from the unconscious boy, unable to stand it; instead, she looked at the others in the room. She stood between McGonagall and Dumbledore and the three other individuals. McGonagall's face was tight with worry and Dumbledore patted her shoulder comfortingly. He then slid his gaze to Suri when he realized she was watching him. She looked away, cheeks pink. She didn't want to have to explain that she was only here because of detention.

Among the other three individuals, there was a seventh year girl in a red and gold outfit. Her blonde hair was swept out of her big brown eyes, held back by a glittering red clip. Beside her was a man with dark brown hair and the same brown eyes holding onto a woman with dark hair and bright blue eyes. Between the planes of the woman's cheekbones and the brown eyes the man and girl shared, Suri realized this was Oliver's family.

"He's moving! Oliver moved!" Mrs. Wood pointed out with the same Scottish accent Oliver had.

Oliver groaned and his eyes opened slightly. He struggled to sit up.

"It's alright, Wood," Pomfrey spoke in a soothing tone, "you'll be fine." Immediately, his eyes closed and he went limp.

"What's happening, he was just awake!" the girl asked, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"He's lost quite a bit of blood," Madame Pomfrey explained, "his body is exhausted." She waved her wand, and in flew a green vial that she caught out of the air. Popping the cork off the vial, Pomfrey leaned over Oliver and carefully forced some of the liquid into his mouth, satisfied when his natural reflexes swallowed it down.

"It's to replenish the blood he's lost." she explained. "Now, will someone tell me what happened during the match?"

"He took a bludger to the head in two minutes flat," answered McGonagall. "He was out before he even fell from his broom."

"He was so proud to make the team as a keeper," Mr. Wood said, his voice thick. "He really wanted us to come out for his first game."

"He's not dead, Andrew," Mrs. Wood said, her tone sharp. She looked at Pomfrey. "Madame Pomfrey can make anyone as right as rain, can't you?"

"Of course," Pomfrey said, giving the Wood family a smile, though her eyes were steely. "And for that to happen, Oliver needs rest, so I would have you all leave soon."

Madame Pomfrey straightened up, satisfied that Oliver's head had stopped bleeding. She had charmed a roll of bandages over, and head expertly wrapped the boy's head.

"Er," Suri followed Pomfrey as she took the basin to the second room to clean it out. "Should I make the beds still?"

"No, I suppose I'll finish it, now that there is a patient. I know it hasn't been your full-time today, but I will tell Severus that you completed your detention with me."

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey," Suri answered, shocked that she had been pardoned from her time today.

She passed Oliver's family as they crowded around his bed as Mrs. Wood kissed the side of his head that wasn't injured. Quietly, she gathered her belongings, preparing to leave, and looked once more at Oliver.

If it weren't for the red stains on his skin and the bandages around his head, Suri would have thought him to be asleep instead of unconscious. His family had walked away, and Suri walked back to his bedside. Carefully, she touched his hand and gave it a quick pat.

"Sorry I couldn't make it to the game," she said to him in soft voice. "But get better soon so I can cheer you on at the next one."

When she turned around, she noticed all the adults in the room having a conversation and the seventh year girl, Oliver's sister, watched her curiously. The girl looked to the scarf in her arm.

"You're in Slytherin?"

"Yeah…"

"And I heard you say you'd cheer for Oliver at his next game." The girl raised an eyebrow, just as her parents walked over, as if noticing Suri for the first time. "Why would a Slytherin care about a Gryffindor? Especially after they likely won with Oliver being out of the game."

"Laurel!" Mr. Wood admonished, frowning at his daughter's questions, he then put his arm around her comfortingly. Suri's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she watched Laurel with her parents.

"I'm sorry," Laurel sighed, her apology sincere. "I'm not mad at _you_ , just at Slytherin."

"That's okay, I get it," said Suri. "Oliver sat with me on the Express and was the first person to talk to me. Then I got sorted into Slytherin and we stopped talking. I had heard he made the team, and I congratulated him in the library last week. I don't like to forget about the people that are kind to me, so I told him that I'd cheer _him_ on, but I still wanted Slytherin to win."

"That sounds about right," Mrs. Wood said, with a kind smile on her face. "He's a good boy. What's your name, dear?"

"Suri Rosier-Black."

Immediately the Wood family flinched at her name, and Suri felt the familiar shame of her name flare.

"Black like…" Mr. Wood trailed off. His brown eyes filled with conflicting emotions, none of them positive.

"Wait a second," asked Laurel, her disapproval becoming genuine interest. "Suri, you say? You're the girl we saw sticking up for a muggleborn Ravenclaw from a seventh year Slytherin."

"That was me." Suri tightened her hold on her belongings, unsure of what to do with the recognition. Two weeks ago, she got into a heated argument with someone in her house who had hexed a first year muggleborn Ravenclaw. She had threatened to jinx the other Slytherin if they attacked someone who didn't know as many spells as they did.

"Well, Oliver is lucky to have such a brave friend as you, Suri," Mrs. Wood decided with a smile.

"Miss Rosier-Black is turning out to be one of our boldest students this year." Professor Dumbledore strolled up to Oliver's family and Suri. He offered them a kind smile. "Please rest assured that your son and brother will be well taken care of by Madame Pomfrey's capable hands."

"We trust her. Thank you," Mr. Wood said and shook the headmaster's hand. With a nod, the family left the infirmary. Suri started to leave as well when Dumbledore's voice stopped her.

"Madame Pomfrey brought to my attention that you're here due to detention given by Professor Snape."

"That's right, Professor," Suri answered, feeling a weight settle in the pit of her stomach.

"Do you care to tell me why?"

"Not particularly, sir." Suri looked up at Dumbledore's eyes, and saw no judgment. She sighed heavily and left the infirmary with him once she noticed Pomfrey give them a glare while she continued to speak with McGonagall. "I stole from Professor Snape's private potions closet."

"Whatever for?" Dumbledore asked calmly as he and Suri walked through the halls, away from the infirmary.

"I don't know, it was stupid," Suri answered. She looked down at her feet, unable to meet Dumbledore's eyes. She found her mind drawing a curtain around her thoughts, as it often did.

"Did you find what you were looking for," asked professor Dumbledore after a pregnant pause.

"Yes," said Suri, thinking of the sprig of lavender she also took. "But Professor Snape took it back. Which is understandable. It wasn't mine to begin with."

"It seems you have a wise head on your shoulders, Miss Rosier-Black, and you simply made a mistake." Dumbledore stopped walking, and Suri followed suit. The two of them faced each other in the hallway.

"It seems Professor Snape will have an even harder time liking me now," said Suri. Dumbledore gave her an expectant stare. Suri shrugged. "It's not hard to see that Snape doesn't think much of me. Even if I am a Slytherin."

"Perhaps you're right," Dumbledore agreed, and Suri hung her head. "It's hard to get a person's feelings to change, no matter what we do."

"I don't know what I did to him," said Suri, and hurried to add, "I mean, _before_ I stole from him."

"Miss Rosier-Black." Something in Dumbledore's tone made her look up at him. "I think you've noticed by now your last names carry a lot of history with them, and as such, they've caused a reaction in others."

"I've noticed."

Dumbledore continued calmly, as though he didn't hear the acidity in Suri's tone. "Perhaps his reaction is similar to the students you're meeting. And it's not because of what you have done, but his prejudice, like everyone else, is based on what those before you have done."

"But I'm not my father!" Suri's blue-grey eyes were bright with stormy anger. "I'm not going to go mad and kill off a bunch of muggles! It's not fair I'm being treated as though I would!" Suri took a deep, shuddering breath. "And people have seemed to forget that my mum gave her life to fight against You-Know-Who. Why can't I be judged for that?"

"Sometimes people choose to see what's wrong instead of right."

"That's a terrible way to view life. We should look for good things and believe in good things!" Suri folded her arms across her chest and stared pointedly at the wall.

"You're exactly right, Miss Rosier-Black."

Her eyes widened at Dumbledore's response, and she felt all her anger ebb away. "I'm…I'm right?"

"I think so." Dumbledore smiled. "It doesn't mean your time at Hogwarts will be any easier. Or your life for that matter, as our names has a tendency to precede us. But I do think it will serve you best to remember to look for the good instead of giving your attention to the bad."

She tried to wrap her mind around Dumbledore's advice, and she remained in her spot as Dumbledore began to walk away.

"Miss Rosier-Black, I suggest you cut yourself some slack, you're a first year student. For every memory you make here, whether good or bad, be willing to take the consequence if there is one."

"So you're not mad that I broke into a professor's office," Suri said, a smile on her lips.

"I think you're handling the consequence as best you can. And should you choose to break the rules again, remember there is always a consequence for our actions."

 **X**

After supper, Suri found Isabelle sitting with a handful of upperclassmen in the Common Room.

"Suri," Isabelle looked up when she approached. "Where've you been? Nate and Mara were looking for you at the game."

"I got...busy," answered Suri, angry all over again at the thought of Mara. "But I have something for you."

Suri reached into the pocket of her trousers and produced the small envelope of powdered Ashwinder egg and the small stone handing them both to Isabelle. The girl's eyes widened and she rose from her seat, pulling Suri away from her friends.

"How did you get these?" Isabelle whispered fiercely as she put them in her pockets for safekeeping.

"Suri!" Nate and Mara entered the Common Room. Mara gave her a smug look while Nate's hazel eyes appeared relieved to see her.

"I tried to distract Snape, but he quickly turned around halfway to the field," Nate explained. "Then I saw Mara without you. She said she sneezed to tell you he was coming."

"Did she?" Suri raised an eyebrow at Mara. The blonde girl rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Suri, I was only having a bit of fun. What happened when Snape found you?"

"You _let_ her get caught?!" Nate turned on Mara. His facial expression became neutral, and Suri died to know what he thought.

"Just detention with Madame Pomfrey," answered Suri, and she waved a hand. "Nothing I can't handle."

"You managed to get into his supplies?" Isabelle's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "And you got detention for me. Suri, you're amazing," Isabelle said, genuinely impressed by Suri's skills.

"I couldn't have done it without Nate," Suri said, making it a point to exclude Mara.

"Well you _both_ are amazing. Suri, I owe you one, really."

From the corner of her eye, Suri noticed Mara's lips tighten into a thin line when she realized she wouldn't receive recognition.

"I'll remember that," Suri promised. Isabelle started to walk away and quickly, Suri caught up to her. "Wait."

"Yes?"

"You know what the goat bezoar is for, right," asked Suri, thinking of the stone.

"Of course I know, it's an antidote to almost any potion or poison. I'm surprised you know what it is. That's not something Snape goes over until your third year."

"I did some research," Suri quickly answered. "I got it in case you wanted a way out of the love potion. I think you're a great person, Isabelle. You're smart and you're pretty. You shouldn't have to use a love potion to get a boy's attention."

"Thank you," Isabelle smiled and patted her pocket. "I'll remember that."

Suri returned to Nate and Mara who watched the exchange.

"Sorry you missed the game and got detention," Mara grumbled, her tone suggesting she was anything but sorry.

"Don't mention it," answered Suri. She cocked her head to the side. "In fact, you owe me for that. I got enough detention for all three of us combined."

"Why do I owe you?" Mara said indignantly.

"Because of you, I got caught," she responded. "You owe me."

"She's right, Mara," Nate agreed with a nod of his head. "You flaked out."

Mara glanced between the two, clearly outnumbered. She sighed angrily. "Fine, I owe you a favor."

Suri smiled. "Good. I'll let you know when it's time to pay up."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	8. The Good Ones

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 8: The Good Ones

* * *

 ** _November 1988_**

"Why are we going out to the greenhouses, Suri?" Nate asked, trekking behind Suri after their last class of the day. He rolled his eyes at Mara's sour expression as she trudged behind them.

"Because they have the last flowers of the season," Suri glanced over her shoulder at her friends.

"Why do you need flowers?"

"Because, Mara, the hospital wing is dull. Clean," Suri hurried to add—she had grown a fondness for Hogwarts' Matron, and did not want to insult the woman even from afar—"but dull. It could use some color."

"You only have one more day of detention," Mara grumbled as the trio neared the greenhouses. "I don't see why you need flowers for the last day."

Suri rolled her sea-colored eyes and sighed heavily in response. She almost smiled when she heard Nate exhale, equally frustrated by Mara.

"Suri shouldn't have detention to begin with," Nate pointed out as Suri pushed open the door to the greenhouses.

Immediately the warm, humid air of the greenhouses engulfed the trio, contrasting the cold and drizzling climate outside.

"Miss Rosier-Black! Right on time." Professor Sprout greeted them with a quick smile.

"Thank you for letting me take some flowers. I have to be quick, Madam Pomfrey doesn't tolerate being late," said Suri, joining Professor Sprout in front of a row of non-magical flowers. Amidst the fauna and flora used for potions because of their magical properties, Professor Sprout also grew a number of plants simply for their aesthetics.

"I have just the thing," Sprout said and pointed to a bunch of yellow flowers with brown spots on them. "Toad lilies."

"Toad lilies?" Mara repeated, several paces away. "They sound horrid. I thought you wanted to brighten the hospital up, not remind Pomfrey of vomit."

Suri bent closer to the flowers Sprout showed her and ran a finger gently down one of the bright yellow petals. She found that she liked the brown spots on the flowers too. "I'll take them, Professor. They're very pretty."

"I'll help you pot these."

Professor Sprout moved deftly, her motions sure and without frill as she uprooted the toad lilies and put three of them into a transportable pot. She then sprinkled the flowers with some sort of potion. "To keep them fresh for a longer period of time," she explained before she passed the pot over to Suri.

When she took the lilies, she noticed the herbology professor give her a curious look. Suri raised an eyebrow in response. "Anything I need to know about these lilies, Professor Sprout?"

"Oh, no, my dear," Sprout shook her head and gave her another quick smile. "You're a good girl, Miss Rosier-Black, don't forget that."

"Er, thank you…I need to get going…" Suri backed away from Sprout before turning to leave with Mara and Nate.

"What was that about," asked Mara as they were halfway back to the castle. "'You're a good girl, Miss Rosier-Black?""

"I'm not sure," she answered, her voice trailed off as she stared pointedly at the lilies.

"Come off it," Nate pressed, his hazel eyes bright with knowing.

"Come off what?"

"Don't play innocent with me, Suri, it doesn't work." The three Slytherins were in the castle, near the hospital. Suri frowned and shifted from foot to foot.

"I _am_ innocent," she answered, her eyebrow raised at her friends.

Nate glanced at Mara, and Mara nodded.

"Honestly, everyone looks at you because of your last names."

"So? You both get it too. You're an Avery, and Mara's a Selwyn."

"Sure, our families are known for doing bad things, but nothing like being you, Rosier-Black. A mum who turned her back on her family to fight You-Know-Who and died. A dad who went mad and killed muggles and landed himself in Azkaban."

Suri flinched at Nate's unapologetic tone.

"Everyone looks at you and wonders whether you're more of your mum or your dad."

"Well, I'm in Slytherin, aren't I? Isn't that the answer?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"But—"

"I have to go, guys, I'm already late. Save me a sandwich, okay?" Suri hurried into the hospital before Nate or Mara could say anything else.

"You're late, Miss Rosier-Black," Pomfrey greeted as Suri walked in. Madame Pomfrey walked along the empty beds and dusted the side tables. She paused when she saw Suri's flustered expression.

"Sorry," she answered, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I stopped by the greenhouses to get flowers." Suri walked over to the one occupied bed in the room and cleared some space amidst a table full of get-well cards and sweet treats for her toad lilies.

Suri paused beside the boy who hadn't opened his eyes in six days. "Hey Oliver," she said softly, though she doubted he could hear her in his unconscious state. "You can wake up anytime now. Your team needs you." She watched his even breath for a moment longer before she quietly walked into the backroom to start her daily chore of washing basins.

"Miss Rosier-Black when you're done, I'll need your help with another task," Pomfrey said minutes after Suri was elbow deep in warm, sudsy water.

"Does it involve re-writing all the labels on the potions bottles? I did that yesterday."

"No, I need help with my patient." Suri stilled and turned to look at Madam Pomfrey who clucked as she straightened a row of empty containers.

"Oh."

"Don't look at me like that, Miss Rosier-Black! You've proven yourself capable enough. Since it's your last day of detention, you might as well learn something in your time here. Come find me when you've finished."

Suri craned her neck around the corner, watching as Pomfrey left. Once certain that she was alone, she pulled her wand from her pocket and pointed it at the stack of unwashed basins. For the entire week, Pomfrey insisted that Suri do things by hand instead of using magic, something about keeping her out of the way.

" _Scourgify_." Almost immediately the basins were clean and dried, and the water audibly drained down the sink. She dried her hands and stacked the basins before joining Madame Pomfrey.

"That was quick," Pomfrey stated calmly, and Suri had no doubt that the older woman knew she had broken the no magic rule. Instead, she nodded and followed after the older witch, who pushed a trolley with various bottles, rolls of bandages, and other tools on the top shelf and a basin with water and a towel on the bottom, to Oliver.

"Put your hair up, Miss Rosier-Black," Pomfrey instructed, leaning over Oliver to check the bandages around his head. "It would be horribly impolite to get your hair stuck to Mr. Wood."

"Right." Suri pulled her thick hair into a high ponytail and watched as Pomfrey removed the bandages around Oliver's head and tossed them in a small waste bin attached to the trolley.

"His wound is healing quite nicely," Pomfrey murmured. "Hand me the green vial and a towel."

Suri did as instructed and watched as Pomfrey dropped a small amount of the liquid onto the towel before dabbing it against Oliver's head wound. "This is to keep the healing process free from infection as well as speed the natural healing process," she explained. "If the boy was awake he might wince now, as the potion does sting. Once the area is clean, you must let it air dry before applying new bandages."

"Sounds easy enough," Suri said, digesting the sudden information. Pomfrey then picked up one of Oliver's hands and gently bent his wrist and hand in a circular motion.

"See what I'm doing? I want you to do the same to his other hand."

"Okay." Suri fought the blush that crept up her neck as she took Oliver's hand in hers. She was surprised to find his hand so warm as she watched Pomfrey circle his wrist and carefully push on each finger. Suri followed suit and found Oliver's fingers to be stiff when she attempted to push them back.

"Don't be afraid of hurting him; I'll tell you if you're doing something wrong."

"His fingers are stiff," Suri explained, eyebrows knitted with worry.

"He's been unconscious for a week. Without movement the body grows stiff and circulation worsens. Since he isn't moving on his own, we have to do it for him."

Suri pushed Oliver's fingers back again and bent his arm just as Madam Pomfrey did. She copied the nurse's movements on Oliver's legs as well, bending and straightening with care. All the while she looked at Oliver's face and wondered if he felt any of this.

"I think that's good for today," Pomfrey decided. "I'm going to redress his head now, and I'll have you help with administering his nutrients. Then you've officially completed your detention."

Pomfrey set to work on Oliver's head. Like Professor Sprout, her movements were just as definite—something Suri had found comforting as she spent time in the hospital wing.

Finally, Pomfrey reached for a tall brown bottle and poured some of its contents into an empty drinking glass. The liquid appeared powdery and turned into a milky white after she stirred it for several seconds.

"This is packed with a day's worth of nutrients," she explained and handed a towel to Suri. "Now, you'll help Mr. Wood sit up and I'll pour this into his mouth. The towel is for anything that dribbles out."

Pomfrey instructed Suri in arranging Oliver's pillows and pulling him up so he was in a sitting position with his head tilted back just enough. "Hold on to his shoulders to keep him from slipping...just like that," Pomfrey said when Suri put an arm around the back of his shoulders and used her body to steady his.

Suri was in a position that had Oliver's head beneath her chin, his brown hair tickling her face. She watched as Madam Pomfrey carefully poured the liquid from the glass slowly into his mouth. Any time Suri saw any of the liquid escape, she quickly wiped it up. She imagined being in the same vulnerable position as Oliver and hoped someone would preserve her dignity as much as she tried to do for him.

This task took the longest amount of time. Though unconscious, Oliver's natural reflexes occasionally gagged, irritated by the liquid. After fifteen minutes, the task was done, and Suri helped lower Oliver back into bed and fluffed his pillow.

"That should do," said Pomfrey as she wiped her hands on a towel and began closing bottles and tucked away unused bandages. "I will tell Professor Snape that you've completed your detention in a satisfactory manner."

"I'm sure he'll be pleased to know," said Suri, sarcasm heavy in her tone. Madame Pomfrey glanced at her and exhaled a deep breath, too refined to roll her eyes or ask questions.

After she had gathered her belongings, Suri paused by the entrance of the infirmary and watched Madam Pomfrey move about the hospital beds in her busy, yet undisruptive manner.

"Thank you for teaching me, Madam Pomfrey. I really learned a lot."

Hogwarts' Matron glanced at Suri. After her time in the hospital wing, Suri knew Pomfrey wouldn't verbally respond, she was a firm believer in quiet while the infirmary was occupied. Instead, the woman offered Suri a rare smile and nodded her head, acknowledging Suri's gratitude.

 **X**

The next morning, Suri found herself to be one of the first students in the Great Hall. She had risen early and dressed casually, (it was the weekend at Hogwarts, and one of the only times students were allowed to be out of uniform for the entire day) eager to be out of the cold dormitories. Even with fires burning in the dormitories and common room, the Slytherin dungeons remained incredibly drafty as the seasons grew colder.

Suri put her book bag beside her as she sat by herself at one of the long four tables in the Great Hall. She poured herself a cup of tea and smiled at Isabelle who sat with two older Slytherins at the other end of the table.

The tea warmed her fingers through the ceramic mug as she students slowly trickle into the hall. Today was the quidditch game between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. The peaceful silence did not last long as the hall buzzed with excited energy. Students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff entered the room, cheering excitedly for their houses.

Suri having just finished her breakfast of toast and jam, prepared to leave when Nate and Mara sat across from her.

"I didn't hear you get up this morning," Mara said, filling a cup with pumpkin juice.

"Were you here this whole time?" Nate loaded his plate with eggs and fried tomatoes.

"Yeah, I got up early, and it was too cold to stay in the Common Room," Suri shrugged a shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Nate eyed the book bag on her shoulder.

"To the infirmary."

"I thought detention was over." Mara wrinkled her nose. "Why would you go back there?"

"Detention is over, but weirdly enough, I think I like being there. It's soothing."

"Weird," Nate agreed. "Does this mean you're going to miss the game between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?"

"I think so. Besides, Ravenclaw sucks, and I know I wouldn't be missing much. I'll see you both later." Suri left her friends and headed to the infirmary.

She expected the hospital wing to be vacant (aside from Oliver or Madame Pomfrey), so she was startled when Laurel Wood smiled at her when she walked in.

"Suri," Lauren greeted. She was sitting in a chair beside Oliver's bed. Her blonde curls were pulled into a single braid that hung over her shoulder. "Are you still in detention?"

"No. I finished yesterday…"

"Miss Rosier-Black? I thought I heard voices," Madame Pomfrey appeared from the other room. "Yesterday was your last day of detention, what are you doing here?"

A blush started to crawl up Suri's neck, and she fidgeted with her crystal pendant that hung around her neck. "I just thought I'd stop by." She glanced at Oliver who remained silent in bed. "After seeing him like this for a week, I needed to come by and see if today was any different."

Laurel glanced down at her brother, and Pomfrey's all-seeing eyes softened a fraction.

"Well, I have no problem with it," Pomfrey finally said. "But if you make too much noise, I will ask you to leave."

"Yes ma'am."

Quietly, Suri stood on the other side of Oliver's bed and watched as Laurel patted his hand.

"Madame Pomfrey said he's been unresponsive for the whole week," said Laurel; she had the same Scottish accent as her brother. Her large brown eyes brimmed with tears. "Mum and Dad are so worried."

"He'll pull through." Suri offered Laurel a comforting smile when the older girl looked up at her. "Oliver will be okay."

"How do you know?" Laurel thumbed a tear away from her face.

"I don't know much about him, but I do know he's competitive. He wouldn't die knowing he'd let his team down."

Through her tears, Laurel chuckled. "That's Olive in a nutshell." She caught Suri's expression at Oliver's pet name.

"Don't tell anyone that! He'll be so angry!"

"Your secret is safe," Suri promised. Not for the first time that year, Suri wondered if she had made a mistake asking the Sorting Hat to be in any house but Gryffindor.

Laurel sat up and rolled her shoulders back, stretching her muscles. "I can hardly sleep knowing he's in here, that's why I'm here so early." She patted her stomach, and Suri envied Laurel's slim, athletic figure. "I could use some breakfast. I feel better knowing Oliver won't be alone if he wakes up when I'm not here. Here, take my seat."

Suri walked around the bed to take Laurel's spot, noting that the older girl was also noticeably taller than her too.

"If he wakes up, will you let him know I was here?"

"Of course," Suri promised and waved as Laurel walked away. Now that she was the only conscious person in the room, Suri looked at the growing pile of get-well cards and sweet treats on the desk beside Oliver. She frowned thinking of her grandmother. Granna would have allowed her to keep only half of the sweets she saw on the table.

Again, she tugged on her necklace and frowned, lost in thought. Suri knew she wasn't unattractive, but her grandmother constantly reminded her that she had a "Rosier" body unlike the Black family or even the Maeve family (her grandmother's maiden name). That meant unlike her parents who were both tall and well-built for their sexes, she would be petite and have to put in twice as much effort to keeping her curves slim. Seeing other girls like Laurel made her question her own beauty.

"I don't care," Suri muttered to herself and pulled out her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook from her book bag and flipped to the section on gargoyles. Her professor, an older witch who hadn't taught in over twenty years had taken the position this year and was quite fond of reading assignments for the weekend.

Upon hearing cheers from the crowd, signaling the start of the quidditch game, Suri paused from her text on gargoyle habitats to study Oliver. She watched the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest over his white bed sheets. Oliver Wood still had a boyish roundness to his cheeks and his eyelashes were shade darker than the hair on his head. She noticed his lips were chapped, likely due to some dehydration.

"You're missing the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff game," she said to him, "I hear Ravenclaw has an incredible beater, but Hufflepuff's offense is unstoppable. You should be there taking notes for your next game, not lying in bed."

Suri leaned back; suddenly aware of how close she had gotten to him. She hoped for a response from him, and after getting nothing, she returned to the gargoyles.

She was a one page away from finishing the chapter when she sneezed. She blamed it on the constant draft from being in Slytherin.

"...bless you…"

"Thank—oh _Merlin_!" Suri sat up and found herself looking into the brown eyes of Oliver Wood. "You're awake!" Just then, cheers erupted from the field.

"Yeah," Oliver struggled to sit up, and automatically, Suri rose to help him. She hooked her arm through his—the way she'd seen Madame Pomfrey do it before—and braced him as he sat against his bedpost. She adjusted his pillows to accommodate his position.

"Those are a lot of chocolate frogs," Oliver looked at his table. His voice was hoarse from not being used.

"What's all this fuss—oh, Mr. Wood, so kind of you to join us." Madame Pomfrey's stern expression changed to one of relief when she saw that Oliver was up.

"I could use some water."

"Certainly, dear," Pomfrey agreed. She glanced at Suri.

"I know, I know, no loud noises."

Suri watched as Pomfrey left before she glanced back at Oliver. He looked around, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "I can hear people at the quidditch field. Is the game still going? Who's winning?"

"The game?" Suri quirked an eyebrow. "Oliver, how much do you remember?"

He frowned in thought. "It's er, kind of fuzzy. I remember the start of the game, then something wicked fast coming for me, and now I'm here."

"Oliver," Suri started slowly, unsure of the best way to proceed. "That was a week ago. You took a bludger to the head and you've been unconscious for a week. The game you hear out there is Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw."

"A week?!" Oliver started forward. He immediately paled from his exertion and fell back against his pillows. "I've been unconscious for a week."

"Your parents were here, and Laurel has been here too."

"Who won the game?"

"That doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Suri…"

"Oliver, you really just woke up and—"

"Suri, _who_ _won_?"

"Slytherin. By two hundred points."

Suri was both impressed and terrified by the sound Oliver made.

"What's wrong with you, Wood? What hurts?" Madame Pomfrey rushed to the scene, with a glass and pitcher in her hands, assessing her patient with a quick glance.

"Gryffindor lost and it's all my fault! I'd rather die than have another loss like that again!"

"For heaven's sake," Pomfrey muttered as she grumpily poured a glass of water for him. Her trained eyes watched as he gulped down two consecutive glasses.

"You'll stay one more night for observation. Your wound has healed quite well, I just need to make sure you gain back some of your strength before you leave."

"Alright," Oliver grumbled, still clearly bitter about the things he had missed.

"Olive!" Laurel rushed into the hospital wing, a bright smile on her face at seeing her little brother awake and talking.

"Lo!" Oliver looked swiftly at Suri. He grimaced when his sister kissed his forehead.

"She's sworn to secrecy about your name," Laurel assured her brother. "You've had Mum and Dad so worried you idiot."

"Sorry about that, Lo. Pomfrey says I'll get to leave the hospital tomorrow. It'll give me time to play in the next game."

Suri watched the siblings interact and could sense the deep affection they had for each other. Though five years separated them, something about Oliver seemed to mature as he spoke with Laurel, and she seemed to regard her younger brother with equal amounts of protectiveness and respect.

Quietly, Suri gathered her belongings, attempting to slip away without interrupting the Wood siblings.

"Suri spent the week checking in on you."

"She did?"

"Mhm. Tell him, Suri."

Suri paused, halfway between the door and Oliver's bed and glanced at the Wood siblings. She looked at Laurel and noticed the amicable mischief in her eyes. Oliver looked at her with open curiosity.

"We were in the same place at the same time," Suri answered with a shrug that cascaded her long black hair off her shoulder and down her back. There was no way she was telling Oliver about her detention, so instead she smiled at him. "I'm glad you're finally awake, Oliver. I hope you get well soon so you can play in the next match."

A corner of Oliver's lips turned up at the thought of playing quidditch to redeem his loss. "Yeah, there's no way I'm ever going to let something like this happen again! Thanks, Suri!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I'm going on vacation, and I wanted to make sure you guys have a chapter before I go!**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	9. The Sins of Our Fathers

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 9: The Sins of Our Fathers

* * *

 ** _June 1989_**

"Finally," Mara declared. " _Freedom_. That was the _worst_ of all the finals."

"Tell me about it," Suri agreed, sitting with Mara and Nate on a stone bench in the school's courtyard.

"It wasn't that bad," Nate said, loosening the green and silver tie around his neck.

"That's because you _like_ history, Nathaniel," Suri pointed out. She tilted her head upward, letting the sun warm her face. The thought of going back to the Common Room on this unseasonably warm day was dreadful.

Nate stuck his tongue out at Suri and hazel eyes searched his friends' faces. "Can you believe the year is already over? Next week we'll be on the Express again."

"It went by so fast," Mara agreed. "I feel like this is home more than _my_ home now."

Suri remained quiet as she listened to her friends talk about the year, and she felt a tug of sadness. She had grown to enjoy her Common Room and the vintage opulence of the Slytherin Dungeons. Though she missed her grandmother and her friends in Vienna, the thought of saying goodbye for the summer was harder than she realized.

"Suri—are you still with us?" Nate snapped his fingers in front of Suri.

"Of course I'm listening," Suri blinked at Nate's fingers. "We'll miss Hogwarts and we need one last adventure before we go."

"Any ideas?"

Nate, Mara, and Suri fell into a silence. They watched as students passed through the halls, growing more excited as they realized their finals were done. Some older Hufflepuff students had already started the celebration by charming paper airplanes to fly down the length of hallways and courtyard. This gave Suri an idea.

"We should play qudditch."

"Quidditch?" Mara raised a blonde eyebrow. "For our houses?"

"Yes, but we should play today! We'll use the brooms from flying lessons and play a game, just us first years. If anyone stops us, we'll say we wanted to get one last flying lesson in before we leave."

"And the practice gear is kept with the brooms," Nate added.

"So it's settled. After dinner we'll play a quick game. We'll let Carly and Willem know as well!"

 **X**

Eager to be in the air, Suri hurried through dinner, changed out of her school uniform and into a casual outfit for the field.

"The brooms aren't even locked up," Mara noticed as she carried brooms for herself, Nate, and Suri while the other two carried a trunk with the quidditch balls out onto the field.

"Less work for us," Suri commented as she and Nate set the trunk in the middle of the field with a heavy _thunk_. Unlike the broom closet, the quidditch trunk was locked.

" _Alohamora_." Nate pointed his wand at the lock and it sprung open. He reached for the quaffle and tossed it in the air before catching it.

"What do you think? Should we let the snitch out too?"

"We'll never catch it," Mara protested.

Suri took up one of the brooms Mara had set aside. Straddling it, she kicked off from the ground and rose as high as she dared. The wind whipped her long dark waves around her face and shoulders as she flew high above the quidditch posts. Eventually, Suri brought her broom to a halt, and she hovered in the air with her eyes closed. Up here, Suri thought, the world was almost silent and she felt both weightless and unstoppable.

Suri opened her eyes and squinted against the warm summer sun before she lowered her broom several feet. "Nate," she called, "toss me the quaffle!"

Nate, who flew in tight figure eights with the quaffle tucked under one arm, adjusted his grip on his broom and chucked the quaffle in her direction. He didn't account for the breeze to knock his aim off course.

Quickly, Suri steered to the left and gripped the broom tightly between her legs and stretched out both arms to catch the quaffle.

"That was close!"

The trio turned their heads to see Carly Davis and Willem Throne finally joining them with brooms they had taken from storage.

"How about we play a game of quidditch," Suri suggested lowering her broom to be level with everyone else. She glanced at Mara, who had hardly risen from the ground, picking up on her anxiety.

"I don't know," Mara said looking up dubiously. "Don't we need more than five to play?"

"It won't be a real game, of course," said Carly. "We can just use the quaffle and goal posts."

"Well…"

"If all five of us played then the teams will be uneven," Suri pointed out, she glanced at Mara, hoping to catch her eye. "Maybe one of us should be referee."

"Suri's right," Mara said quickly. "I'll be referee. If I want to play, someone can switch out for me." Mara and Suri shared a quick, knowing glance before Suri turned away.

"Great! With Mara as ref, this means no cheating." She looked pointedly at Nate who gave her a wicked grin.

"It's only cheating if someone's feelings get hurt. Besides, don't give me that look, Rosier-Black! There's a reason I don't play Wizard's Chess with you anymore!"

"Whatever! Let's get started!"

Carly, Willem, Nate, and Suri giggled as they threw the quaffle back and forth while Mara occasionally fouled them from below. Carly was attempting to make it past Nate with the quaffle when movement from below caught Willem's attention.

"What's Gryffindor doing here?"

The group of Slytherins paused their game as the Gryffindors walked onto the field.

"Seems we weren't the only ones who had the same idea," Bradley Price, a first year Gryffindor with blond hair and freckles said by way of greeting.

"It's a nice day," Nate responded, hovering a couple feet above Bradley.

"You didn't find it odd that the brooms were unlocked," asked Jessica Yates, a Gryffindor girl with chin-length brown hair and bright green eyes. " _We_ unlocked it earlier. We were only gone ten minutes before you guys showed up." Jessica said haughtily, her tone suggesting she wanted nothing to do with Slytherin.

"There are still plenty of brooms left in the closet," Suri reminded her. Something about Jessica's tone irritated her. In response, she lifted her chin a little higher and raised an eyebrow. "And the field is big enough for both of us, so I don't see a problem. Do you?"

"Not at all," Bradley said. He looked at his friends and jerked his chin, indicating that they should follow him back to the brooms.

"Is it me, or are they being odd," Carly asked in a low voice. She steered her broom into a small huddle with Suri, Willem, Nate, and Mara.

"They think they're better than us," Willem scowled. "That's just Gryffindor."

"Ignore them," Suri decided, tying her hair into a ponytail. She rolled her eyes irritably. "Even if we were super nice to them, we'd still get blamed for something."

Her words hung in the air. Even as first years, they all knew that Slytherin had a bad reputation among the other houses. No one would ever believe them if they said Gryffindors were the first to be unkind.

Nate and Suri floated higher and passed the quaffle between the two of them, and were shortly joined by Bradley.

"How about a game," he asked, watching the quaffle go back and forth. "Gryffindor against Slytherin?"

Nate caught the quaffle and held it under his arm. "Five on five?"

"I don't know," Suri started, glancing at Mara who sat in the bleachers with her broom beside her. "I don't think Mara's interested in playing."

"I understand," said Brad, steering his broom away. "I guess they're right about Slytherin. More talk than any _real_ nerve."

" _Fine_ ," Suri agreed, clearly miffed. She searched for Nate, and he shrugged his shoulders before giving her a nod. "We'll play you with one less person. Just the quaffle and goal posts."

"Let's see what Slytherin's made of," Brad said with a wicked grin, accepting the challenge.

Both Slytherin and Gryffindor got into position, and Suri found herself face to face with Jessica. When their eyes met, Jessica rolled her eyes with disgust.

Suri hoped her expression remained passive as she watched Jessica, unsure of what made the girl dislike her. Without realizing it, Suri had mentally reached out and pulled back the curtains of Jessica's mind.

 _"_ — _thinks she's better._ "

Suri had no time to hear anything else before Jessica rushed forward as soon as the game started.

"Ow!" Suri held tightly to her broom, unprepared by Jessica's aggressive tackle.

"If you can't handle it, don't play," Jessica sneered and sped off, catching the quaffle from her housemate.

"Suri, we're one down, there's no time to daydream!" Wilem shouted as he and Nate sped after Jessica.

Furious, Suri got low on her broom and charged forward with the intent to cut Jessica off before she could score. What was meant to be a friendly game of pick-up quidditch became personal.

"They're going to knock each other off!" Mara covered her eyes when Nate slammed into Brad, and for a quick second Brad's arms went out to regain his balance. Peeking through her fingers, Mara bit her lip. As she did so, argumentative voices rose behind her.

"We signed up for the field today! I don't care if the season is over, I won't let my team get rusty before summer. You can't just go to Professor Snape and have him change the schedule!"

"We'll wait to hear what Snape has to say, then. What the— _that's_ where the missing brooms went!"

Mara looked up to see two livid quidditch teams—one in red and gold, and the other in silver and green practice robes.

"What's going on out here?" asked Marcus Flint, a third year Slytherin.

"We were out on the field first but Gryffindor said they were here earlier. Then they challenged us to a game, and now it looks bad."

"Seems like we're first no matter what," Gryffindor's seventh year captain, David Hamblin, said smugly.

Slytherin's captain, Tim Crockett, rolled his eyes. "Get over it, Hamblin."

For a moment, the two teams stopped their arguing and watched their first years fly across the field, not noticing the trunk that still held the quaking bludgers had a faulty lock and had popped open.

"Is that Suri?" Marcus squinted up, shielding his eyes against the bright sun.

"Impressive," said Tim, nodding approvingly. "Oh, that's a bludger going for her and that other girl. Who are their beaters?"

"Bludgers?" Mara paled. "We didn't want to play with those!" She looked at the trunk and noticed the broken lock.

"We should get it," said Oliver Wood. He and reached for his broom, preparing to fly up there.

"Wood, you need a bat," said a Slytherin player, Jason Payne, and he tossed Oliver the bat before he also took the air.

It was almost too late when Suri noticed the bludger when she and Jessica were shoulder to shoulder. "Jessica! Move!" Suri reached out and shoved the girl's shoulder hard, just as the bludger connected with the end of Jessica's broom.

"Watch it!" Oliver and Jason flew between Suri and Jessica.

"I'll hit it to you if you can catch it from below," said Jason, and Oliver nodded, quickly lowering his broom.

Suri had no time to register the appearance of the two boys as she frantically looked for Jessica. She saw the girl quickly lowering her broom to the ground, and Suri dove down to check on her.

"Jessica," Suri jumped off her broom, "are you alright?"

Jessica, paused and turned around. She quickly walked up to Suri and shoved her hard, causing Suri to stagger back.

"What the hell!" Yells erupted from everyone as the remaining students in the air flew to the ground. Oliver helped Jason wrestled the bludger into the trunk and slammed it shut, locking it with a charm.

Suri regained her footing and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "What was that for?! _I saved your life_!"

"Why? So you could kill me later?"

The arguing immediately ceased, as everyone watched the scene unfold.

"What?" Suri narrowed her eyes at Jessica, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach. "What are you talking about?!"

Jessica snorted humorlessly. "Don't play dumb with me. You don't think I know who you are, Suri Rosier- _Black_? Your dad was Sirius Black, the wizard who killed twelve muggles. Turns out one of those muggles was _my_ dad. I'm muggle-born _Black_ ," Jessica spat Suri's name like an insult.

"That has nothing to do with me," Suri protested, and she knew her protest sounded weak. Instead, she pushed into Jessica's mind again. She caught her breath at the anger and grief that raged through Jessica.

" _I'll hex her the second she opens her mouth_."

Suri noticed Jessica's fingers twitched at her side, near her pocket. Suri reached for her wand as well.

"Flipen—"

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Jessica's wand flew out of her grip and floated in the air. Suri flicked her wrist and Jessica's wand floated into Suri's waiting hand.

Jessica's eyes widened.

"I'll give you back your wand, just—"

"You're just like _him_!" Jessica stormed forward and pushed Suri's shoulder.

"Yates, stop—" David Hamblin started in a warning tone.

"You _attacked_ me!" Suri fired back, her anxiety being replaced with anger. She stood tall, unwilling to bend under Jessica's wrath.

"You think you're better than everyone. You're _nothing_ , Suri."

"You don't even know me!" Suri pushed back at Jessica with both arms and knocked her to the ground.

"Girl fight!"

Jessica rose to her feet, arms out for Suri. Jessica, being taller and with longer limbs, reached out and caught Suri in a headlock, pulling Suri's hair.

"Get off!" Suri stomped on Jessica's foot as hard as she could, grinding her heel into the girl's trainers. She had never been in a fight before, but she had no intention of losing. Suri kicked against Jessica's leg, making Jessica stumble. The girls tumbled to the ground and immediately hands reached for both of them, pulling them apart.

"Suri, calm down! That mudblood isn't worth it," Nate hissed into her ear, gripping her arm tightly.

"Let go of me!" Suri struggled against him as Oliver reached out and restrained her other arm.

"Stop fighting and we will," said Oliver, his voice tight with concern. Suri strained again, and quickly realized that between Nate and Oliver, she wasn't getting anywhere.

" _What_ is going on?"

Nate's and Oliver's hands immediately released Suri and was replaced by a larger hand on her shoulder. Unsure of who it was, Suri roughly pulled away.

"Get _off_!"

"Miss Rosier-Black, control yourself!"

Suri's body stilled at the sound of Professor Snape's voice as his hand gripped her upper arm. In a matter of seconds, as she turned to face him, she saw beyond his irritation and straight into his mind.

It was only a brief image, but there was a teenage boy with a handsome face with a smirk on his lips telling Snape to go to the Whomping Willow and—

And if she thought Professor Snape was mad a minute ago, his expression was now _furious_. His hand on her arm sprang off, as though burned by contact.

"Professor—" Suri started.

"It was Jessica that started the fight Suri was just—" Nate interjected.

" _Twenty points_ ," Snape snapped, his harsh tone demanding silence from every single student, "from Gryffindor for instigating the fight."

"Twenty!"

" _Fifteen_ points from Slytherin, Rosier-Black, for lack of self-discipline." Snape's dark eyes fixed on Suri, as if attempting to burn her into the ground. "Both you and Miss Yates will follow me to the headmaster's office at once."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	10. Who You Are

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 10: Who You Are

* * *

 ** _June 1989_**

Suri and Jessica glared daggers at each other in Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Most people seem to believe that the last few days of school are the most relaxing," said Professor Dumbledore from behind his great wooden desk as he appraised Jessica, Suri, and Professor Snape. "Though it seems like it might not be the case. What is the meaning of this, Severus?"

"These two were caught in the middle of a fight," Snape explained, his dark eyes, much to Suri's surprise, were trained darkly on Jessica. "Apparently, Miss Yates has accused Miss Rosier-Black of insulting her...lineage."

Suri fixed her gaze on the floor, hoping neither Snape nor Dumbledore noticed her surprise at Snape's defense.

"Is this true, Miss Rosier-Black? Did you insult Miss Yates?"

When Dumbledore addressed her, Suri had to look up. She fixed her gaze on the headmaster, and in that split second she warred between making her mind blank and staying open. She took a deep breath. "No, Professor, it's not true. I don't even know her!" She chose the latter.

"I can't believe you would let someone like _her_ learn magic," Jessica burst, breathing heavily. "Her father was deranged! She could be the same! Isn't there a program for people like her to keep her from using magic?"

"Jessica," Dumbledore started calmly, "I can see how troubled you are. Has Suri given you any indication that she shares the same views?"

"I don't _need_ indication!" Jessica balled her hands into fists. She bit her bottom lip and turned away, wiping angrily at the tears on her cheeks.

"Hogwarts is a safe place for all of my students, Miss Yates, and because you were the one to start the fight, the punishment will be left as it is. Though if Miss Rosier-Black had been the one to attack you first, this conversation would have gone very differently. This is the best answer I can give you."

Jessica took a deep shuddering breath, "I understand, Professor." Her tone indicated that she was anything _but_ understanding.

Even from where Jessica stood, a healthy distance away, Suri could feel the other girl's anger, as if it were palpable. And beneath Jessica's anger, there was a deep sadness that radiated that seemed to reach out to Suri. That deep sadness was enough to cause her anger to ebb away.

"You both are dismissed," said Dumbledore.

"Professor, there is another matter that needs to be addressed," Snape interjected, "regarding Miss Rosier-Black."

Dumbledore gave Snape a long look before he nodded once. "Miss Yates, you're free to go; Miss Rosier-Black, you'll stay a little longer."

Jessica turned sharply on her heel and stalked out of the office, head high as she slammed the door behind her.

"I've seen worse," Dumbledore said calmly, breaking the tension in the room.

"Excuse me, Professor," Suri ran after Jessica.

"Miss Rosier-Black, you are not dismissed!" Snape reprimanded, stopping Suri in her tracks.

Hand on the door knob, Suri looked at both professors over her shoulder. "I know I'm not, there's just something I have to do, I promise I'll be right back!"

"Miss Rosier-Black—!"

"Let her go, Severus."

Suri ran out of the office and down the spiral staircase where she caught Jessica at the bottom.

"Jessica! Wait!"

"What do you want?" Jessica whirled on her heel. Her green eyes were rimmed with red, and her voice shook with emotion.

"Jessica, I…" Suri trailed off and caught her breath. She found that she had no idea what to say. She knew nothing she said would take away the pain of losing a parent. Especially when it was her parent that took Jessica's parent.

"I am so, _so_ sorry," she finally said, and hoped Jessica felt the weight of her sincerity. "I would do anything to make what happened to you and to me different, but I can't. You have every right to be mad at me. I think if I were you, I would hate me too."

Jessica scoffed and rolled her eyes in confirmation.

"But I want you to know," Suri continued, before she lost Jessica altogether, "that my views aren't the same as Sirius Black's. I am not my father, and I wouldn't hurt you, a muggle, or anyone else because they didn't believe the same things as me."

Suri's words hung in the air as Jessica searched Suri's face. Finally, Jessica shook her head. "You're right, I _do_ hate you, Suri. If you were different from your murderer father, you wouldn't be in Slytherin! There's not a witch or wizard that hasn't gone bad in your house."

"I—"

"Save your apology for someone that cares!"

Suri stared after Jessica as she walked away. She wanted to scream that her mother was a Slytherin and defied Death Eaters who were likely her friends. She wanted to scream that the Sorting Hat wanted her in Gryffindor, but she had defied the hat and was placed in Slytherin.

Mulling over the apology, Suri's train of thought only stopped when she reached Dumbledore's office door that was cracked open. She raised a hand to knock on the door, but the sound of the professors' voices stopped her.

"...just as impulsive, just as rash. Did you see the way she rushed out of your office?"

"I will admit that I expected to see her in my office more than this one time," Dumbledore said after a moment's pause. "Outside of this incident, and the one earlier this year that involved your supply closet, Suri Rosier-Black has demonstrated upstanding character."

"And an unchecked skill in legilimency."

"Ah, that is something that I am aware of, Severus. Soon after her acceptance letter was sent home, I received a letter from her grandmother, explaining Suri's extraordinary gift. It seems it would differ from her own mother's unique gift, but still not uncommon given her family history."

Suri immediately knocked on the door before peeking her head around the corner. "It's just me, Professor."

"Did you take care of what you needed to do," asked Dumbledore by way of greeting.

"I did," Suri answered distractedly; she looked pointedly at Dumbledore. "My grandmother wrote to you?"

"I had wondered when you would come into my office for this, Miss Rosier-Black," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, as he steepled his fingers together. "Natural gifts like yours are quite rare, and only the most talented witches and wizards ever attempt to master such skill."

"She could have used legilimency on all of her exams to pass," Snape pointed out.

"I did not!" Suri's eyes flashed with anger. "I make good marks on my own!"

"Watch your tone, Suri," Snape replied coldly.

"You're accusing me of being a cheat!" Suri shot back. She ran a frustrated hand through her hair. First it was Jessica accusing her of her hatred for mudbloods, now it was Professor Snape accusing her of stealing answers.

"Your skill as a legilimens has nothing to do with your character. However, stealing a bezoar, powdered Ashwinder egg, and lavender from my supplies _are_ testament to who you are."

"How did…" Suri trailed off. "You're a legilimens." Realization washed over Suri like a cold wave. Reflexively, her mind went black.

"Like you, Professor Snape is a legillimens."

If Dumbledore noticed Suri jump in surprise, he did not react to it. "Your grandmother had written in request that you be formally trained to control your abilities. She would teach you herself, but now that you're of school-age, it is illegal to practice magic while you're underage and away from school."

"So she asked you."

"She did," Dumbledore confirmed, "but perhaps it would be best for you to learn from someone even more skilled than I. Professor Snape is one of the best I know—"

"No, Sir, I'm sorry, but no." She wondered if Dumbledore knew the extent of Snape's disdain for her, and the very last thing she wanted was to spend hours under the tutelage of someone who hated her for reasons she couldn't even begin to understand.

"Sir," Snape started, "I would ask that you reconsider that request. I cannot teach her."

Suri pressed fingers to either side of her temples, her mind tickled. " _Stop_ using legilimency on me!"

Snape clearly made it a point to ignore her. For the second time in one day, he and Suri were on the same side of a disagreement.

"Severus, we cannot have a student go untrained. Not when there is someone as skilled as you."

"Then I will teach myself," Suri decided. With the attention of both professors, Suri took a deep breath. "I can do it. I can learn on my own."

"Miss Rosier-Black, you are only eleven." Dumbledore's reminder of how young she was hung heavy in the air.

"I am only eleven. But I know so much more than other kids my age. I'll teach myself." Suri reached up to touch the slight bump under her shirt, feeling the crystal vial that she wore everywhere. She allowed herself to feel the weight of her loss—the memories of laughter and kisses and hugs she clung to, and the pain of being wrenched away from the arms of someone she loved very much. Shaking her head, as if remembering where she was, she regarded both of her professors.

"Some would say it is unwise to dismiss the help of others," Dumbledore said and Suri shrugged a shoulder lightly, but with her chin tilted the way it was, it was clear her mind would not be swayed. Professor Dumbledore sighed.

"Perhaps the great philosophers of the past were right: never make an important decision on an empty stomach, on lack of sleep, or in the presence of water nymphs. There are three days left of the school year, and not nearly enough time to begin training of any sort. Very well then, this will be something we discuss in length when you return in the fall. You may go, Suri."

"Thank you, Professor." Suri hurried out of the room and closed the large office door behind her.

With a door behind her and the professors, Suri's shoulders sagged. Although Dumbledore's promise was said lightly, she might as well have been warned. She knew Dumbledore would find some way or another to help her reign in her ability. Even if it ultimately meant Snape would teach her. She shuddered at the thought.

But for now, Suri would take Dumbledore's advice to heart: never make an important decision without rest.

 **X**

"We could play Wizard's Chess?"

"Hm? Wizard's Chess...sure, let's play." Suri looked away from the landscape that raced by outside the Express, and gave a sort of half-smile to Nate.

"I'll play winner," said Mara, standing and stretching her arms. 'I'm going to stretch my legs for a bit."

Nate watched as Mara slid the compartment door shut behind her before he jumped from his seat by the door and pushed Suri's legs off bench she had propped her feet against.

"What's your problem?!"

"Willem is in the loo, Mara's on a walk, Carla is tracking down the trolley witch and Gemma is probably with the second years. You've got five minutes before one of them comes back to tell me what's _your_ problem."

"Right now it's _you_."

"Come off it, Suri," Nate rolled his eyes. "You've been acting odd ever since you and Yates were taken to Dumbledore's office, and don't tell me I'm making it up."

Suri raised her chin carefully, her stormy eyes narrowed at Nate. She blew out a sigh when he matched her stubborn expression with his own. Suri's shoulders sagged.

"Do you think I'm trustworthy, Nate?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Suri ran her hand through her tangle of dark waves, feeling oddly exposed, "do you think I'm a cheat? And I'm not talking about Wizard's Chess."

"Everyone cheats at Wizard's Chess. That's how you win."

"I really don't think that's true."

Nate sat back and folded his arms across his chest. Finally, he said, "I think your trustworthy. But we're Slytherins, we're the least trustworthy of the bunch—what are you getting at?"

Suri took a deep breath and launched into the story of what happened in Dumbledore's office. She told him about apologizing to Jessica, and Jessica blowing her off. She did not tell him about her legilimency, but managed to tell him that Snape also questioned her ability to be trusted because of her parents. All the while, Nate stared out the window, but by the way his head was cocked to the side, Suri knew he listened to every word.

"Honest opinion?"

"Always," Suri answered. During the school year, whenever Nate was about to deliver critical, but usually insightfully honest truths, he would ask if he could give his honest opinion—it came about after he made Carly cry when he said her new haircut looked terrible. Though with Suri, even if the truth stung, she knew Nate always had his friends' best interest at heart.

"You act like rules don't matter to you," Nate said.

"They don't—"

"Hey," Nate held up a hand to stop Suri, "I'm speaking now, don't interrupt me." Nate continued after Suri's eyeroll. "Once you have your mind set on something, you will find a way to do it, regardless of the consequences. It's like you make up your own rules as you go so for those that don't know you, or might not particularly like you, it looks like you think you're better than everyone. But for those that do know you, it's easy to see that you act that way because you're doing what you think is right. So, maybe it's cheating on the outside, or stealing. But on the inside, it's being loyal to a friend."

"I…" Suri trailed off and frowned at Nate. "You see all of that in me?" Her voice was almost a whisper as she realized how observant Nate could be.

He shrugged his shoulders. "There's _a lot_ of things that I see. It comes with the territory of being the only child in my family."

Suri picked up on the resentment in Nate's tone. Even ifshe pressed, he wouldn't talk about his family. Instead, she saved this bit of information for a time when he would talk. Suri leaned forward and put her face in her hands and groaned.

"What's got you twisted up? Is it Yates? Don't let her bother you. Oh, I know…" Nate's tone change drastically, and Suri didn't have to look up to imagine the mischief in his face. "Is it _Oliver Wood_?"

Suri sat up suddenly, her face bright red. "W-Why would you say that?"

"Because," Nate laughed, "The fact that you're embarrassed right now tells me that you fancy him!"

"I do not!" Suri swatted at Nate's leg, but he dodged her in the nick of time and laughed harder. "Out of any person at Hogwarts, you choose the bloke who thinks of nothing but quidditch!"

"That's not true! I'm sure he thinks of other things!" This time, Suri's hand connected with Nate's leg when she hit him. Eventually, Nate's laughter ebbed away, and Suri glared at hi with her storm-colored eyes.

"Suri, as your best friend, keep being you. Who cares who your parents were? Okay, a lot of people care. But you aren't them, so act like it."

Suri looked down at her hands, committing Nate's words to heart. When she looked up at him, she smiled earnestly at him and felt the warmth of friendship when Nate matched her open smile with one of his own. "Thanks for making Hogwarts home, Nate, especially Slytherin. If it wasn't for you, I think I'd still be talking to the mermaids."

"Anytime, Rosier-Black. And when you're ready to flirt with Oliver Wood, I'll be sure to be there making sure you realize how embarrassing you look every single time."

"Nate!"

"What's so funny?" The compartment door slip open as Willem re-joined them. He caught Suri's irritated expression and Nate doubled over with laughter.

"Nate is being an absolute toad," said Suri.

"Oh boy. What's he done now?"

"I was just telling her about the time the seventh year guys pranked the sixth years a couple weeks ago." Nate's lie was so smooth, that even Suri would have believed it, had she not been there.

And naturally, she knew about the prank already. Nate had told her the morning after it happened. Suri and Willem joined in with Nate as they remembered the unfortunate event with the pixies and bread pudding.

At that time, Suri caught Nate's eye, and behind the merriment, she saw what she was looking for, and she knew Nate saw it in her too. She knew she could trust him with her secrets and he would guard them without hesitation.

From that moment on, Suri Rosier-Black knew she had found a best friend in Nathaniel Avery.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	11. Bloodlines

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 11: Bloodlines

* * *

 ** _July 1989_**

"You have enough ingredients to feed a small army!" Amalia looked at her messy kitchen, an eyebrow hitched amusingly. She chuckled while Suri flitted around, gathering glasses from a cabinet, bowls from another, and back to the table to stir the lavender lemonade.

"You know we're making cookies, Granna," said Suri, pausing long enough to tie her hair back into a ponytail. "Eloise Greening, Sophia Saxby, and Mia Marker will all take some home to share, especially Mia. Her older brother Geoff eats like a hippogriff."

"I'm just teasing you, dear. I've missed having all of you girls around."

"I missed it too," Suri smiled at her grandmother. As much as she missed Hogwarts, the second she got off the Express and saw Amalia Rosier waiting for her three weeks ago, she realized how much she had missed her old friends and Vienna, but most of all her grandmother.

When the doorbell rang Suri glanced over everything in the kitchen and nodded, satisfied that she had everything they would need. Amalia Rosier smiled before she disappeared into the sitting room to read for the afternoon.

"Suri!"

"Mia! Sophia! Eloise!"

Squeals erupted in the foyer as hugs were had all around, even amongst the three girls that attended Beauxbatons together.

"This was such a good idea," said Eloise looping her arm through Suri's as the four girls made their way to the kitchen for lemonade and baking.

"I want to hear all about Beauxbatons," said Suri as Mia passed her a glass full of cold lavender-lemonade. "Tell me everything!"

"Soph, you tell her, you're the best storyteller," Eloise urged.

"There are four houses at Beauxbatons, of course," started Sophia Saxby, a twelve-year-old girl with medium-length red hair and brown eyes. "But it's not like Hogwarts where you're chosen. Everyone has to live in the four houses during the first four years. After that, you get to decide which house you like best and live in it for the last three years of school. Each house is dedicated to a direction: north, south, east, and west, and there's a specific view that the rest of the house's decor is based off."

"Unfortunately all three of us are in different rotations," Mia frowned.

"But we'll probably end up in the same house in our fifth year," said Eloise. "I wish you were with us, Suri."

"We probably won't," Sophia pointed out. "Remember, you really like the Eastern wing and I like the Northern one."

"That sounds amazing," Suri encouraged. For a brief moment, she was envious of the way Beauxbaton so obviously cared about appearance and beauty for their school. "What about your friends? Tell me about...Flora!"

"Fleur," corrected Mia. "Fleur Delacour in my house rotation. Did you know she's part veela? She'll be coming in August for a short holiday. It'll be great if you to meet then!"

Suri quirked an eyebrow, "Veela? Like the mascot for the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team?"

"Exactly. But she's only a quarter veela."

"So your headmistress is part giant and you've made friends with someone whose part veela. The most exciting thing we've got at Hogwarts is Peeves the poltergeist."

"He sounds...charming," Eloise tried, but her scrunched expression suggested otherwise.

"Anyway, between the three of us, you know all there is to know about Beauxbaton. Tell us about Hogwarts!"

"Tell us about Nathaniel Avery." Sophia wiggled her eyebrows at Suri.

"Nate is _just_ a friend!" Though as her imagination often got the best of her, Suri imagined Nate holding her hand and the very thought of it made her want to vomit or violently shake him off. From the sitting room, where her grandmother had disappeared into, there was a crash like the sound of breaking glass.

"What was that," asked Mia, immediately looking alarmed.

"I'll be back." Suri was already on her feet and walking toward the sitting room. Pushing through the kitchen door she found Amalia waving her wand over her shards of broken glass and spilled lemonade, instantly charming the mess away.

"Granna, are you alright?"

"What?" Amalia, pale faced, looked up. "Yes, darling, I'm fine, I just…" she trailed off and smiled. "My hand slipped and well, accidents happen."

Suri didn't need legilimency to know Granna was lying. "Okay. Can I help you clean anything?"

"No, run along, dear. I'm sorry for scaring you and your friends." Amalia must have seen her expression. She smiled. "Really, Suri, I'm alright."

"Okay…" Suri stole one more glance at her grandmother before she returned to her three friends.

"Granna's glass was slippery so she dropped it," she explained to the girls. "Anyway, who's ready to bake cookies?"

Some time later, the girls lingered around the kitchen table, licking batter from spoons and spatulas as they waited for the chocolate chip cookies to be done.

"So," Mia said around a mouthful of batter. "There's Nate Avery who is basically your best Hogwarts friend, Mara Selwyn who at this point I can't quite tell if she's a friend or not, Gemma Farley who is a year older than you and the other first years in your house that you mostly hang out with."

"Oh, you forgot Oliver Wood," Sophia added. "But he's in Gryffindor, and that's Suri's rival house. That's kind of romantic."

"Oliver doesn't count," Suri interjected as she swiped batter out of the large mixing bowl they shared. "Besides, I already told you about what happened with Jessica Yates. He hasn't talked to me since then. He probably thinks I'm insane."

"You _are_ insane," Eloise sighed. "And that's why we love you."

"That's not very helpful, Eloise," Sophia frowned. "What Jessica did and said wasn't very kind, or true. Her idea of Suri is all wrong."

"Suri, I've known you since we were five years old," said Mia, ticking off some of Suri's personality traits on her fingers. "Stubborn, competitive, and you would do anything for us. The very last thing you are is hateful."

"Thank you," Suri murmured, giving her friends the smallest of smiles. She knew if she had these three with her at Hogwarts, things would be incredibly different. Before Suri could follow her thoughts down a long spiral, the timer she'd set for the cookies dinged.

"Finally!"

 **X**

After the girls had their fill of cookies and lemonade, Suri helped her friends wrap the leftovers to take home.

"I'm glad you're back, Suri," Sophia smiled, hugging Suri in the foyer. "It's just like old times!"

"I still wish you chose Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts." Eloise frowned as she hugged her as well.

"I _like_ my choice," defended Suri, the pitch of her voice rose along with her irritation. She took a breath before calmly continuing. "But I do miss seeing you three all the time."

"We'll see each other plenty over the summer," Mia assured, and squeezed Suri's hand. "Besides, you're going to do quidditch training with my brother and me, remember? Geoff says he'll teach me some tricks that'll help us stand out. _And_ you'll have to meet Fleur Delacour when she visits!"

Geoff Marker, Mia's older brother, was in his third year at Beauxbatons. Similar to Hogwarts, Beauxbatons allowed second years and up to try out for quidditch. Mia and Suri dreamed of playing quidditch long before they received their acceptance letters.

"Can't wait," Suri smiled. There was a flurry of more hugs and farewells before her friends finally left.

After clearing the leftover dishes, Suri ventured upstairs to her Granna's room where she had retreated when the girls had become too loud in the kitchen. Quietly, she pushed at the half-open white door that led to her grandmother's large suite.

"Granna?"

Amalia Rosier's room, though already expansive, included a sliding window that opened up to a small, private balcony. There she sat, staring at the city below at a patio table big enough for two chairs. Her deep blue eyes slid over to Suri as she quietly sat in the unoccupied chair.

The silence between them was palpable, but not awkward. Suri was used to silences like this. During these silences, Suri's guard slipped and she could feel the familiar, bittersweet sting of nostalgia that radiated from Granna. Like reading a familiar book, she knew what Amalia Rosier felt: the pain of losing her daughter—Suri's mother—the resentful confusion of Suri's father being in Azkaban, all tied into a deep brokenness for a world that no longer made sense.

All she wanted to do was fix the pain in her Granna's heart, but she had no idea where to begin. Instead, she slid her hand across the table and gently squeezed her grandmother's hand, just like she had done for her so many times over the years.

"Your lavender is blooming like crazy," Suri observed, fixing her gaze on the oblong flowerpots fixed on the balcony ledge.

"Do you know where the lavender comes from?" Granna seemed to search Suri's face, as one would do when looking for something that they've lost.

"Er, packets of seeds or a farmer's market," Suri guessed.

"No," said Amalia, a gentle smile on her lips. "These came from the Rosier Manor in Northern Ireland. We had a lavender field there. The best part were the days when the breeze came from the sea and the smell of lavender and salt air mingled together."

Suri met her grandmother's gaze, and immediately she saw the lavender field she described, and it became as though she were standing in the field. She could feel the long stems and petals against her hands and robes as she walked through the field. Not far away was her grandmother, her blonde hair in a loose ponytail, shielding her eyes against the sun while looking up. She looked years younger. Suri followed her gaze, just in time to see a figure expertly loop in the air on a broom.

"Contessa, come down, the tea is ready!" Amalia's voice was firm, but not angry.

"Mum, you _know_ I hate my full name!" The figure on the broom called back irritably, guiding her broom to the ground.

"Oh forgive me, _Tessa,_ " Amalia laughed, "but I will always think "Contessa" is lovely."

"Contessa is a name for someone _boring_."

Suri watched as a girl fairly close to her age jump from the broom and land lightly on her feet. This girl was Tessa Rosier. Even if Amalia never said her name, Suri would have known it was her mother, based off the pictures she had seen in the yearbook and in rare old photos Amalia had shown her.

"Tessa," Suri murmured and stepped forward, knowing full well that neither Amalia nor Tessa could hear her or see her, since this was her grandmother's memory. Instead, Suri compared herself to the memory of her mother. Even at twelve, Tessa Rosier had a willowy figure, and was a couple of inches taller than Suri. Her long, chestnut brown hair hung thickly down hair back, tousled by the wind. Tessa had the same deep blue eyes as her mother, and her fair complexion maintained a golden glow from the summer sun that dusted light freckles across her nose.

Suri felt the only similarities she shared with her mother included the slight arch or her eyebrows before the fine, straight bridge of her nose that gave way to full lips. Even from a young age, Suri could tell Tessa was beautiful.

She was so distracted by the image of her mother, that she did not noticed when Amalia quietly closed her mind off, preventing Suri to see anymore of her thoughts. Eventually, Suri blinked her grey-blue eyes and shook her head before smiling softly at her grandmother.

"Rosier Manor is beautiful."

" _Was_ beautiful," Amalia corrected gently.

"What happened to it?"

"Since I moved here, it is no longer under anyone's care."

"Oh," Suri frowned in thought. "Since it's a Rosier Manor, isn't there another Rosier that could live there, technically it's still ours, right?"

"It doesn't belong to the Rosier family. It belongs to my family—the Maeve family. When I married your grandfather, as a gift to him, I christened it with his name. The house is usually passed down to the oldest Maeve witch alive. So, it is still mine."

"And it would have been my mum's."

"Yes. And when the time comes, it will be yours."

Suri pictured the house in her mind's eye, processing the idea that there is a home somewhere in Ireland that would one day belong to her. "Can we visit it, Granna?"

Amalia grew a couple shades paler. With a faltering smile she reached across the iron table and patted Suri's hand. "One day we will. But not yet."

Suri read her grandmother's veiled expression. By the way Amalia's voice shook, Suri knew her grandmother wasn't ready to visit the house, aside from in her memories.

"You're very good at piecing together family traditions," Amalia complimented, changing the subject.

"You made sure I knew all about the Maeves, Rosiers, and the Blacks," Suri smiled. "But my friend Nate made sure I knew all about the twenty-eight pureblood families."

"Did he," asked Amalia, her tone light, but her deep blue eyes were guarded. "Can I give you a short test then?"

"I guess." Suri pulled her hand back and then folded her hands beneath her chin as she listened carefully.

"Suppose the Rosier Manor wasn't a gift, and it belonged to the Rosier family. It would have been passed down to the oldest Rosier planning to start a family."

"So it would have been my mother's," Suri answered, furrowing her brows together. "That doesn't change."

"What if there was another Rosier about to have a child born before you?"

"Then it would belong to them," Suri answered. She cocked her head to the side. "But there isn't another Rosier born before me, so it would still be mine. This isn't a very hard test, Granna."

"But what _if_ there was a Rosier born before you?"

"Then I would have a brother or sister," Suri frowned, that would be unlikely. She knew her parents were seventeen when she was born. "Or a cousin. Do I have a cousin, Granna? If they were born before me, then they would be at Hogwarts too, but as far as I know, I'm the only Rosier at Hogwarts right now. Unless they're a squib…"

"You know your mother was an only child. However, growing up, she did have a cousin about four years older than her. His name was Evan Rosier and he loved her like a sister until the war dragged them apart."

"Did he have a kid?" Suri leaned forward at this sudden new information of a mysterious family member.

"At the time, he fancied at young woman named Mabel Avery. However Evan was too dedicated to the war to care about much else, even when Mabel told him he would soon be a father."

"Mabel Avery…" Suri frowned.

"In that same year, in the spring before you were born, Mabel gave birth to a son, and Evan was not around for his son. Shortly after his son was born, Evan was killed, and his son never took his father's name."

"If he was born in the same year I was, then his son would be in my year," said Suri. Her eyes widened. "The only Avery I know is Nate! I remember him telling me that he has a stepfather, but he never changed his name. Granna, Nate is my cousin?!"

"The timeline seems appropriate," Amalia answered. "Though I never met the boy. The way you talk about him reminds me of when Tessa and Evan were very young and inseparable."

Suri jumped up. "I need to write to Nate right now. He knows everything about the pureblood families, so he had to know about this!"

Suri ran to her room and riffled through her belongings until she found a bit of parchment. She quickly dipped a quill in ink and wrote one simple sentence without bothering to address it or write that it was from her. The note simply read: _Why didn't you tell me we were cousins?_

Once dried, she tied it to the leg of Humphrey, her beloved owl. "Take this to that idiot, Nathaniel Avery," she murmured before letting her owl loose.

 **X**

Two weeks passed before Humphrey returned, tapping on her bedroom window as Suri made her bed one morning.

Unlatching her window she allowed Humphrey in and took the note tied to his leg. It was the same bit of parchment she had sent two weeks ago. Under her note was an equally simple reply:

 _Took you long enough_.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	12. Friends Old and New

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 12: Friends Old & New

* * *

 ** _**Be sure to read the Author's Note at the bottom._**

 ** _August - September 1989_**

Summer holiday passed quickly for Suri Rosier-Black. Between time with Granna and with her best childhood friends, Suri was surprised to find she only had one more week before the start of her second year. The thought of returning back to school was bittersweet. She bounced with excitement at the thought of being back in her large four-poster bed, at being with Nate Avery and Mara Selwyn, and perhaps seeing Oliver Wood. But, the thought of saying goodbye to her grandmother, and to Mia, Sophia and Eloise made her wish summer would last forever.

For now, Suri soared through the air on Mia's borrowed broom, practicing quidditch drills with her older brother Geoff during a perfect Vienna summer.

"Time out," she called, and lowered her broom to the grassy yard of her friends' countryside home. Geoff followed shortly after, tossing his sandy blond curls out of his eyes.

Suri grinned at Geoff while she dabbed the sweat from her forehead with her arm. "How was that? I finally nailed that flip technique!"

"You're absolutely mad, do you know that," laughed Geoff, though he shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Suri arched a black eyebrow as they carried their brooms over their shoulders, heading back to the house.

"You're supposed to keep one hand on the broom when you're flipping, but you take both hands off when you're upside down. You're going to kill yourself!"

"I need to make sure I'm catching the quaffle," Suri protested, though she felt a rush of pride at her work. "What do you think, Geoff?"

Geoff blew out a sigh, and raised his hazel eyes, the same eyes as his sister Mia, to meet hers. "I'd say you're quidditch material."

"Great! I can't wait to try out this year!"

"You'll do great,"

"Suri!" Mia waved to her from the balcony.

"I'll take your broom," Geoff offered, since the shed was in the other direction. Suri handed him the broom before she ran up the stone steps that led up the balcony and to the rest of the house.

"We were supposed to leave five minutes ago," Mia greeted anxiously and raised a judgemental eyebrow at Suri's sweaty appearance.

"Sorry! I lost track of time. I really wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing."

"That's okay," Mia obliged. "Maybe you should shower and wait here while I get Fleur from the terminal."

"Are you sure," asked Suri, feeling bad that she made Mia late in picking up her friend from Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacour,. "I can just wash my face and be ready to go."

"I'm sure," said Mia, already heading to the front door. "Fleur is the very... _proper_ type, and it would be best if you showered. You can wear anything from my wardrobe."

"Okay, and I'll get some tea started for when you and Fleur get back."

"You're the best, Suri" Mia quickly squeezed her hand. "Thanks for agreeing to spend some time with Fleur and me. She really is a great friend, but sometimes she can be…"

"A lot," Suri supplied when Mia trailed off.

"Yes," Mia giggled. "Eloise doesn't like her so much, and Sophia gets shy around people she doesn't know."

"It'll be fun to meet someone from Beauxbatons," said Suri. "Now hurry before you're even more late!"

With Mia gone, Suri rummaged through her friend's closet and chose a sundress. Mia, being the tallest of their group, usually had something that would fit Suri's softer shape.

After a quick shower, Suri slipped into the dress, which fit surprisingly well, and pulled her wet hair into a long braid before heading downstairs. She found Geoff sitting at a table in the kitchen eating a pastry, still in his sweaty training gear.

Treat in hand, Geoff looked up at Suri, surprised. "You're still here? I thought you went with Mia. And is that her dress?"

"It is, and we thought it would be best if I showered since Fleur is _very_ proper." Suri wrinkled her nose at Geoff's sweaty hair that had dried on his forehead. He grinned at her.

"So I shouldn't immediately hug her when she walks through the door."

"That would be a _faux pas_ , and Mia would kill you."

"I think she actually would," Geoff agreed. Suri and Geoff laughed at the thought; Mia and Geoff had a great relationship and occasionally argued like cats and dogs.

"I offered to get tea ready before they get back."

Geoff shoved the last bit of his pastry into his mouth and stood. "I'll help you set up some snacks," he said around a mouthful of sweets.

"You're a barbarian." Suri rolled her eyes.

"You don't have a brother," Geoff retorted as he began to pile different types of fruit pastries and biscuits onto a platter.

When the tea was ready, Suri searched the cabinets for cups and saucers, only to find them in on a shelf that was just out of reach. Standing on her toes, she managed to pull down two cups and three saucers.

"Let me help you." Geoff quickly leaned over and easily pulled down the last cup.

"Your entire family is half giant. I _know_ I grew a couple centimeters this summer! What are you looking at?" Suri paused when she realized Geoff giving her an odd look.

"Ah.." beneath his sandy blond hair, the tips of Geoff's ears turned pink. "You smell nice."

"T-thank you," she stammered, suddenly bashful. She reached for the cup in Geoff's hand and quickly turned away to set the table.

Before he could say anything strange again, they both heard the front door open and Mia carrying on a conversation in French.

"Y-you should disappear before Mia hexes you for still being sweaty."

"I'm shaking with fear," Geoff responded, pressing his hands to his cheeks in mock terror. This simple act made him and Suri laugh, clearing away the last of the lingering discomfort.

Mia and her companion's voices drew closer and Geoff hurried to the sliding glass door to escape. "It was good training with you, Suri," he said before he disappeared into the backyard.

"Suri," Mia smiled as she rounded the corner with a friend right behind her. "What's so funny?"

"Hm, oh, nothing." she hadn't realized she was smiling after Geoff left. "I-I'm excited to meet your friend!"

"Suri Rosier-Black, meet Fleur Delacour. Fleur, Suri. She's one of my best friends, and she goes to Hogwarts."

Suri held out a hand to the other girl. Fleur was nearly as tall as Mia with pale blonde blond hair held back by a soft pink ribbon. She had blue eyes and porcelain skin, and was impeccably dressed in fabrics that looked finer than the clothes Suri wore on a regular basis. Her handshake, much like everything else about her, was delicate as she offered Suri a polite smile.

"Mia talks about you a lot," said Fleur with a heavy accent. "Good things only. I am excited to know her friends and practice my English."

"That makes me happy," Suri smiled in response. "She talked about you too."

"You set out tea for us," Mia said, looking behind Suri. "That's so nice!"

"Yes, very nice," Fleur agreed. "Thank you."

Suri and Fleur fumbled amicably through conversation as Suri attempted to brush up on her French as Fleur responded in English. With all the elegance that came from Fleur, Suri realized why Mia would consider her a good friend. It was evident, in talking about school and families (Suri only shared that she lived with her grandmother), that Fleur was very loyal to her family and also exceptionally talented at charms.

It was around shared tea and treats that Suri Rosier-Black and Fleur Delacour became friends.

 **X**

Steam billowed across the sky on Platform 9¾'s on the first day of September.

"You didn't leave anything behind at the Inn," asked Granna.

"Granna, even if I did, isn't it a little late for that now? The train is leaving in fifteen minutes." Still, Suri glanced over her trolley of belongings. She had her trunk filled with robes, books, and miscellaneous necessities. And atop the trunk was a cage that held her owl, Humphries. In her arms, Suri held her school robe for when they arrived, and on her back she sported a beautiful new knapsack which was her birthday gift from Granna this year.

"I suppose you're right," Granna said, tugging on one of Suri's wild tresses. "If you need anything, send Humphries."

"I will." Suri opened her arms and hugged her grandmother tightly, breathing in her familiar scent, determined to kill the butterflies that swarmed in her stomach and made her heart race.

"Happy birthday, Suri," said Granna and she gently touched the crystal vial that hung around the young girl's neck. "Don't forget to tell me all about quidditch tryouts."

"Thank you, Granna." Suri kissed her grandmother on the cheek once more before she pulled back. "I've got to go now."

"Be safe and behave! And have a good year!"

"When do I ever misbehave," Suri called back, a wicked grin on her lips. She locked eyes with her grandmother and saw visions of stealing from Professor Snape's closet, and his discovery of her skill as a legilimens.

" _Behave_ ," Granna repeated

"Bye, Granna," she responded and boarded the train. She pushed her trolley halfway down the train before she paused, feeling a tug at her heart. Stopping in an empty compartment that faced the platform, Suri pulled open a window and searched for grandmother.

As if her mind was read, Suri quickly spotted Granna who also looked for her. Granna smiled at her, and Suri blew a kiss and mouthed the words "I love you." Her Granna responded with the same. Feeling better, Suri pulled back from the window.

"Well look who it is."

"Nate!" Suri broke into a grin upon seeing Nathaniel Avery, his lips turned into a side smile.

"Don't just stand there, cousin, I haven't seen you all summer." Nate held his arms open. Suri smiled and hugged Nate, surprised by how tightly he hugged her back. This small action was enough to calm her anxiety.

"Why didn't you write back after I found out we were cousins?"

"I did write back, I said "took you long enough"." said Nate, shrugging his shoulders. He then looked her up and down. "You've gotten taller."

Suri paused to notice that she stood eye level with Nate. "I might've had a growth spurt...and that's not a proper letter."

"Funny, I had a growth spurt too." Nate helped Suri push her trolley further along the train, stopping at an empty compartment. Other nearby compartments hosted more Slytherin students chatting excitedly about their summer holidays. Nate and Suri wordlessly decided to share their own compartment and hoisted their belongings into the overhang bins before shutting the sliding glass door and sat across from each other.

"You knew all this time that we were cousins? Why didn't you say something?"

"Because it was more fun to make you wait," he said drily, smiling at Suri's irritated expression. "But I only really knew at Christmas time. I went through the family tree books my mother has."

Suri cocked her head to the side and studied Nate's features. Where his hair was dark brown, hers was inky black. Where his eyes were hazel, hers were the color of a stormy sea.

"I'm told I look like my dad," said Nate, as if he could read Suri's mind. "And the only trait your mum really shared with my dad was hair color."

"It makes sense why we get along so well, I guess." Suri smiled. A thought occurred to her. "You told me that you have a stepfather. Why don't you have his last name?"

"My mum didn't want any kids after me, and since Evan Rosier was too busy working for the Dark Lord, she had me keep my last name. Besides, only an Avery can inherit the Avery fortune, and I am the last Avery male."

"Sounds like a lot of pressure. Do you get your stepfather's fortune too?"

"I don't, but my mother gets security by being married to Philippe Durfort, from the most noble wizarding family in France and primary financial funder of St. Mungo's hospital for the past three centuries, or at least his family is. He's much older and has children at least ten years older than me."

"Oh," Suri wrinkled her nose and Nate snorted.

"It's as horrible as it sounds. I don't think Mum loves Philippe. At least not the way she loved my dad. But she loves the security the Durfort family offers her."

"Do you like him?"

"He's alright. He's often away, busy with his other children so I don't see him much." Nate shrugged his shoulders, his expression blank.

Suri had more questions, but Nate quickly rose from his seat and ran out of the compartment before she could ask any. He returned a moment later with Mara Selwyn behind him. Mara held a small gift bag as she sat beside Suri.

"Nate came just in time," Mara said, by way of greeting. "The older ones had been talking about quidditch for fifteen minutes, and I can't stand quidditch talk for very long." Mara rolled her eyes before taking a breath. "Happy birthday, Suri. This is for you!"

"Good to see you too, Mara," Suri laughed, accepting the gift. She shook it once before opening it. "Oh, this is pretty." From the bag, she pulled out a grey scarf that felt incredibly soft in her hands.

"We saw it at Madam Malkins and decided to split the cost," Mara explained, nudging Nate.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Suri draped the scarf around her neck and imagined herself wearing it when the weather got colder. "I love it. Thank you."

"I wanted to get you chocolates as well, but Mara reminded me you don't like sweets," added Nate.

"I really love chocolate," Suri defended, removing her scarf and placing it carefully in the bag. "I just don't eat them a lot. Granna says I have to be very careful about my weight, especially if I want to play quidditch this year."

"I heard there were three spots opening up," Nate said excitedly.

Mara groaned. "Oh, not you too."

"Really?" Suri leaned leaned forward, both her and Nate ignoring Mara's disdain. "Wouldn't it be great to be on a team together?"

Nate and Suri became so engrossed in their quidditch conversation that they hardly heard the knock on their compartment door.

"Anything from the trolley, dears," asked the old witch with a cart full of snacks.

"Anything that doesn't involve quidditch," Mara muttered as she browsed the selection. "Nate, Suri, do you want anything?"

"Ah, Miss Suri Rosier-Black, there you are!" The trolley witch smiled kindly.

"I don't think I need anything," said Suri while Nate picked out a couple different pastries. She raised her eyes to the trolley witch. "You were looking for me?"

The kind, old witch rummaged around the trolley and produced a wrapped, chocolate cauldron cake and passed it to her with a note on top of it. "For me?"

"A young boy informed me that it was your birthday and asked me to ensure that this got to you. I usually don't do favors for the students, but he was so insistent."

"Who was it," asked Suri, unfolding the note, though she had a strong suspicion of who it was.

"Oh, I don't remember his name," said the trolley witch, doling out change to Mara. "He has a very charming Scottish accent, and is sitting two cars away on the right." The witch smiled at the group once more before continuing down the train, announcing her presence.

"What does the note say," asked Mara, peering over Suri's shoulder.

Suri looked down at the quickly scribbled note and read: "Happy birthday, Suri! Everyone deserves sweets on their day!"

"Who's it from?"

"I'll give you one guess," said Nate, his face full of mischief while Suri felt her cheeks turn pink.

"Oh! That Gryffindor boy, the one you fancied last year," said Mara, nudging Suri.

"I didn't _fancy_ him," Suri defended.

"You spent every day in the hospital wing with him!"

"That's because I was there in detention because of _you_." Suri glared. She rose to her feet and took the chocolate cauldron cake with her. "I'll be back."

She left her friends and ventured two train cars down, and sure enough, on the right side she saw a familiar face, accompanied by a familiar voice.

Oliver Wood was in the middle of a conversation about none other than quidditch. He looked up, and his face broke into a smile. "Happy birthday!" He rose from his seat and stepped out of the compartment.

Suri held out the chocolate cauldron cake. "This is from you?" She asked, feeling dumb.

"Er, yes it is," Oliver responded, rubbing the back of his neck. Before he could add anything else, two heads peeked around the compartment.

"Oi, is this the girl you tracked down the trolley witch for," asked one of the heads. It was hard to tell the heads apart, since both were redheads and identical. Immediately, Oliver's ears turned pink.

"She was already on her way here," Oliver fumbled.

"Have we met before," Suri asked, her eyebrows knit together in concentration.

"Have we," asked the second redhead. He looked at his brother. "I dunno. Fred and I are very good with faces."

"Fred and…"

"George. Weasley. Fred and George Weasley," George supplied, grinning. "You are?"

"Suri Rosier-Black," supplied Suri, and she trailed off. "Oh, I remember now! We played together when we were very, very little. You're both first years, right?"

"Rosier-Black, Rosier-Black," Fred muttered. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"That's okay," Suri smiled, tugging at her necklace. She had a distant memory of going with her mother to visit this family once or twice. She at once felt disappointed that they didn't recognize her, but also relieved when they didn't cringe at her name. She wouldn't be the one to explain why they played together when they were little anyway. Instead, she turned back to Oliver who watched the exchange.

"The cake is from you," she said, "you know I don't eat sweets."

"Did you read the note? Everyone deserves something good on their birthday."

"But I'm trying out for quidditch," Suri continued, feeling bashful since Oliver already played for a team.

"And _one_ cauldron cake is going to ruin your chances of playing?" Oliver's eyebrows shot into his hairline. He sighed. "I don't get girls. My sister Lauren is the same way."

Suri looked down at the cake in her hand. It really was a thoughtful gesture and she felt horrible she was treating it this way.

"We'll take it if you won't eat it," said Fred.

"No!" Suri surprised herself by how sharply she answered. Fred and George exchanged a look before they smiled wickedly at Oliver and retracted back into the compartment, leaving Suri and Oliver alone.

"Weasleys are bound to be in Gryffindor," said Oliver, shaking his head at the two young boys. "They ended up in our compartment when Percy Weasley kicked them out of his."

"I can see why," Suri responded drily, smiling when Oliver laughed.

"Let me see the cake." Oliver took the small treat from Suri, unwrapped it carefully and broke it in half. "Let's split it."

"I think I can do that." She took one half of the treat and bit into it, enjoying the chocolate goodness.

"So, you're trying out for quidditch," said Oliver around a mouthful of cake. "What position?"

"I think I'd be a good chaser," Suri answered shyly. It felt weird talking to Oliver about this, and she figured it was probably because he was on a team.

"Chaser," Oliver said thoughtfully. He glanced at Suri, as if quickly assessing her physical build. "I guess we'll see when your name shows up on your team's roster."

"Yeah," Suri said. She smiled again. "Thank you for remembering my birthday."

"No problem," said Oliver. "It's not a hard birthday to remember. Besides, my sister told me that you hung out in the hospital wing while I was out, so I figured I owed you."

"Oh, sure," said Suri. She waved at Oliver before she left. "Thank you again!"

As she retreated, she heard Oliver's voice in his compartment. "She's not in Gryffindor, she's a Slytherin. I think it's weird too."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey friendly faces! Thanks so much for reading this story. I am honestly so excited to write it. With that being said. The next few chapters will have _a lot_ of quidditch, so bare with me. I promise it's for a purpose and it will get us there. That doesn't mean STOP READING, because if you do, you'll miss important story plots along the way. Unless you want to miss them, then that's up to you. **

**Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	13. Quidditch Tryouts

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 13: Quidditch Tryouts

* * *

 **October 1989**

To anyone watching him in the Common Room, Nate maintained his cool demeanor. From Suri's perspective, he radiated with nervousness and doubt. Today was the day Slytherin hosted their quidditch tryouts.

"I've never seen you nervous."

"I'm _not_ nervous," said Nate, a bit too sharply. Suri blinked at him and he sighed. "I mean, aren't you?"

"I am. But I've learned to control it." She thought of the lavender and lemon oils she put behind her ears. "Besides, quidditch is in my blood. Every woman on my mum's side of the family has been a chaser for the past four generations."

Under the constant, green iridescent glow in the Slytherin Common Room, Nate seemed to grow paler.

Suri rose to her feet and gathered her long hair into a high ponytail with an elastic band she kept around her wrist. She then held out a hand to Nate who still sat on the couch. "Come on," she said, her eyes bright with energy. "Tryouts start in fifteen minutes."

 **X**

By the time Nate and Suri arrived to the quidditch field, there were several other Slytherin students also dressed in practice gear, hopeful for a spot on the team. The walk to the field seemed to calm Nate's nerves; he had regained the color in his face and appeared calmer than he had in the Common Room. Suri, on the other hand, felt a restless buzz in her stomach. She looked at the other Slytherin students—seven in total—and quietly navigated their minds.

She found most were as nervous as she was, and the older students didn't view her or Nate as competition since they were the only two second-years to try out. As soon as she saw this thought from one of the sixth year students she quickly pulled out of their minds and folded her arms across her chest. She would show them competition.

"Alright you ugly lot, tryouts have officially started. At the end of last year, Crockett made me captain." All eyes turned to Marcus Flint, the fourth year captain.

"What does Mara see in him," Suri muttered to Nate and he shook his head disdainfully.

Marcus and the current quidditch team, stood in front of Suri and the others. "There are only three spots on the team," said Marcus. "We are looking for a chaser, a beater, and a keeper. And maybe one or two benchwarmers if we feel sorry for you."

Suri thought Marcus's pep talk was the opposite of inspiring.

"Let's get started then. You're going to be judged on your ability to fly, your actual quidditch skill, and your overall agility. Before we fly, I want you to divide into the position you're trying out. Keepers here, beaters here, and chasers here."

There was a quick shuffle as everyone filed into the spots Marcus pointed at. Suri and four other students joined the chasers group while Nate and a fourth year girl stood in the beaters section.

"No one wants to be a keeper," asked Marcus with a raised eyebrow, specifically looking at the group of large group of chasers. He sighed, as if he was working with young children. "Alright, we'll sort that out later. Grab a broom and let's go. We're going to start with a few laps."

Once mounted and in the air, Marcus and the team led the Slytherin students in flying drills. Marcus led the front of the group while the other three players followed in the rear, quietly judging.

Flying started easily as the group went one lap around the field. Then Marcus began to sharply weave left and right, expecting everyone to follow his movement. When he sharply weaved left, Suri, in the middle of the pack, had little wiggle room. As a result, she bumped into the sixth year who didn't consider her competition.

"Watch it!"

Marcus weaved sharply again, and this time everyone in the group bumped into each other. He laughed loudly as his housemates argued. He _wanted_ to make them bump into each other. "Can you keep your broom steady while you're being tackled?"

He propelled himself forward, picking up speed on his broom. Suri could feel her broom vibrating between her hands when she tried to pick up speed—her broom had reached it's speed limit. She locked her knees around the broom for balance and lessened her grip to allow the broom to wobble to maintain speed.

From the corner of her eye, she saw one of her housemates drop his broom a few feet below the group. "Are you mad, Flint? I just nearly fell off!"

Marcus's response was laughter as everyone else flew by. "If you can't keep up, you can't play," called Simon Acker, the team's beater.

Suri frowned as she watched her housemate swear and lower his broom to the ground.

Finally Marcus lowered his broom to the ground after three more laps. "Drink some water, then we're up in the air again in five minutes. Be ready to play some quidditch."

"He's mad!" Nate plopped next to Suri on the bleachers. Suri nodded and wiped her mouth on her sleeve after she gulped down water.

"Honestly I don't even know if I want to _be_ on this team anymore. He's a terrible captain," Suri said in a low voice. She watched as Marcus and the three other players prepared for the next round of tasks. Her stomach turned when she looked at Marcus.

"Alright, everyone up. This is how we're going to do this training. Colin and me," — Marcus pointed to Colin Bledsoe, a fourth year boy with brown skin— "are going to be chasers. Trevor and Simon will be beaters. Er, you two," Marcus waved in Nate's and Gina Cobb's direction. "You'll join Trevor and Simon. Everyone else who wants to be a chaser will join me. We're just going to play a game of catch with the quaffle. In the meantime, there will be three bludgers loose. The beaters will be aiming for you to test your agility. If you get hit, it's the beater's fault." Marcus offered no other instructions before he mounted his broom and kicked-off.

"Don't hit me, okay," Suri said, half-jokingly as Nate was handed a club.

"Do you think if you get knocked unconscious Oliver Wood will visit you as much as you visited him?"

"You're such a troll!" Nate laughed as Suri left him behind.

Once again, Suri found herself next to the blonde sixth year boy, Michael Polley, who thought he was better than her.

Michael gave her a side-glance and shook his head. "Try not to get in my way, kid."

"Maybe you should stay out of mine," Suri fired back, her eyes bright.

Marcus blew the whistle he had around his neck. "Let's get started!"

From down below, Simon and Trevor released the bludgers. With the bludgers released and all ten Slytherins in the air, the next few minutes were pure chaos.

Suri found herself ducking and dodging bludgers, making sure she didn't get them confused with the quaffle. She caught it each time it was thrown at her, and she quickly threw it to another player. Just as she was getting confident, Nate shouted her name.

"Suri, duck!"

Trusting her friend, Suri did exactly as she was told, and narrowly missed the bludger that sailed over her head just as her fingers fumbled to get control of the quaffle passed to her. Pulling her knees up, her broom raised just enough for her to get a strong grip on the quaffle before she pulled it securely to her chest.

Marcus blew his whistle, and everyone froze.

"Beaters keep playing," Marcus commanded before his dark gaze fell on Suri. "Rosier-Black, go to the quidditch posts."

Cheeks red with exertion, Suri followed Marcus. Marcus took the quaffle and followed her. "Stop the quaffle before it gets through a post."

Suri barely had time to register Marcus's demand before he flung the quaffle into the post furthest from her. Without hesitation, Suri launched forward, caught it, and fluidly threw it back.

"Again." Marcus threw the quaffle back at her.

This continued six times in a row, and Suri flawlessly caught each one, even if it meant nearly falling from her broom.

"Okay that's enough," Marcus finally said when Suri through the quaffle back for the umpteenth time. Her arms felt shaky and sore. "Not bad, Rosier-Black. Polley, you're up as keeper next."

"I not here to be a keeper, Flint, I want to be—"

"I don't care, just do it!"

After twenty minutes, Marcus blew his whistle one last time. "Alright, you lot, tryouts are over. We'll post the results near the locker rooms on Friday after classes."

"Thank Merlin," Nate groaned as he met Suri by the bleachers. She had waited for him while he helped wrestle the bludgers back into their trunks. "I don't think I've ever been this sore."

"Neither have I," Suri agreed. She rubbed her sore shoulder and grinned. "I think you'll make the team, Nate."

"I hope so," Nate chuckled. "I definitely did better than Gina Cobb. Did you see her drop her club?"

"I was too busy making sure I caught the quaffle _and_ dodged the bludgers!" Suri shook her head. She thought about Marcus singling her out first and making her play as keeper. She didn't know if that was a good or bad sign. "I guess we'll find out on Friday!"

 **X**

Nate and Suri had never experienced such a slow week as they waited for the quidditch results to be posted. On Friday, Suri daydreamed through all of her classes until Mara finally snapped at her.

"Suri, you're going to set _my_ books on fire!"

"What? I'm _so_ sorry!"

For the remainder of class, Professor Flitwick had set the students loose to practice the fire-making spell while he roamed around the classroom offering tips and pointers. Charms was Suri's favorite class because she excelled at it, and she enjoyed Professor Flitwick. Today, she did anything but excellent.

"Are you that concerned with finding out if you made the team—apparently you are." Mara trailed off at Suri's deadpan stare.

"Quidditch is all I've ever wanted to do, even before I knew I would be at Hogwarts. Aside from Michael Polley, I _know_ I was one of the best chasers out there."

"What happens if you don't make the team," Mara asked. She had packed her books away before she attempted the fire-making spell. "Incendio."

She squealed with delight when her paper caught on fire. She quickly put it out with water.

"Thanks for believing in me," muttered Suri as she poked the pile of twigs in front of her. "Incendio!" Immediately her twigs blazed with fire.

"Very well done, Miss Rosier-Black," commented Professor Flitwick before he moved on. She missed Mara rolling her eyes while she put out her fire.

"I didn't say that I just...I don't get sports."

"Mara, some things are simply done for fun. You do know what fun is, don't you?"

"I read for fun. And I watch Pippy chase the toy mouse I bought him."

"Blech." Suri made a face in response to reading for fun and Mara's fat, grey cat that chose to sleep on Suri's bed most of the time.

"Seriously, you've been out of it _all_ week. I wondered how you managed to ignore everyone."

"What do you mean? Who have I ignored?"

Mara fixed her pale blue eyes on Suri, almost disbelieving. "You're kidding right? You haven't noticed Gryffindor _talking_ about you?"

"No…" Suri looked around the classroom. Charms was one of the classes Slytherin shared with Gryffindor this year. For the first time, she noticed Bradley Price from Gryffindor stare at her. When he realized she noticed, he and two of his friends quickly turn around.

"What's that all about?"

"Haven't you noticed Jessica Yates isn't at Hogwarts this year?"

"What?!" Suri glanced all around, and noticed Mara was right. Toward the middle of summer, Suri had forgotten all about her because she had buried herself in quidditch practice and catching up with her best friends. "Maybe she's just sick?"

"She hasn't been here all year." Mara rolled her eyes.

Suri frowned in thought while Professor Flitwick called the class to attention before dismissal.

"Have a great weekend, class, and don't forget your assignment!"

The classroom burst with energy as the students propelled for the door. It was the last class before the weekend, and that meant final rosters were out.

"Are you—" Mara started to ask in Suri's direction, but stopped when she realized Suri wasn't there. She had cut through the crowd and headed for Bradley.

"Hey." Suri paused beside Bradley while he was still packing up his books. He looked up, and immediately his smile faded.

"Suri," he greeted flatly.

"Er, is it true, I guess," Suri started. "Jessica isn't here this year?"

"No, she isn't." Veronica Mills, a Gryffindor with curly brown hair and brown eyes stepped it. "She transferred to Beauxbatons because of _you_."

"Oh," Suri breathed. She wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry. "That's too bad."

"Why do you care?"

"Veronica, stop that." Bradley cut off his friend. He sighed and looked at Suri. "It's true. She sent us an owl during the summer saying she couldn't be in the same school as you, and Dumbledore approved her transfer. It should have been you that was forced to leave."

"Alright, well, I just wanted to know." In her periphery, Suri noticed her interaction with the Gryffindor students had caused a small crowd. Everyone had heard about her fight with Jessica at the end of last school year, and everyone had an opinion. Almost everyone, aside from those in Slytherin and a quiet handful sided with Jessica. To preserve her dignity, Suri raised her chin and turned away from Bradley and Veronica, unwilling to give the crowd the gossip they wanted.

"Roiser-Black, wait, I didn't finish saying what I had to."

"You didn't?" Suri turned around and walked back toward Bradley. Immediately, she felt the tension in the air as she felt Nate and Carly step closer, ready to come to her defense.

"You made it perfectly clear that I'm not welcome here. Do you just enjoy the sound of your voice?" Her comment earned snickers from her friends in Slytherin.

Bradley scowled. "No. I was going to say, I was at your fight. And I just want to say that your dad is scum, and apparently your mum is a hero. You're more like your mum than people say and Jessica didn't want to see that. But maybe I should take that all back, because I like hearing myself talk."

Bradley slung his book bag over his shoulder and walked off, Veronica following close behind him. He glanced back at Suri. "See you around, Slytherin scum."

There wasn't much venom in his insult. There was almost a smile on his lips as he spoke.

"If I have to, Gryffindor garbage," Suri responded with the same amount of disdain as Bradley.

"I've never had anyone hate me so much they had to switch schools," Suri said to Nate, Mara, Carly, and Willem when they joined Suri as the crowd dispersed.

"Beauxbatons," Willem said, shaking his head. He then laughed in disbelief. "Who cares about that mudblood anyway?"

"Don't your friends from Austria go to that school," Nate drawled, clearly amused. "Yates is in for one hell of a time."

Suri thought of Mia, Eloise, Sophia and even Fleur Delacour meeting Jessica and hearing horrid stories about her. She was surprised she hadn't received an owl about it yet. Instead, Bradley's words resounded in her mind: for the first time, someone saw her as more than Sirius Black's daughter. She ran a hand through her messy tresses and shrugged her shoulders with more confidence than she felt.  
"Either way, Jessica isn't my problem anymore, she's Beauxbatons. For now, I'm concerned about that quidditch roster!"

She and her friends ran to the large display board outside the locker rooms. The area was packed with students pushing to read the names on the list.

"I'll wait here for you guys," said Mara and hung back near a pillar, away from the crowd.

Suri and Nate shared a look.

"Ready," asked Suri.

"I was born ready," Nate responded as they pushed their way through the crowd to read the list of names.

Suri got their first and ran her finger down the list:

Marcus Flint—Chaser, Captain

Colin Bledsoe—Chaser

Michael Polley—Chaser

Simon Acker—Beater

Nathaniel Avery—Beater

Suri Rosier-Black—Keeper

Trevor Finchley—Seeker

Mia Cobb—Second string

Chase Hurlbutte—Second string

"Keeper?" Suri felt her stomach drop as she backed away from the roster.

"Suri we made the team!" Nate loosened his green and silver tie, his eyes bright with excitement. "We made it! Why aren't you screaming with delight, or whatever it is girls do?"

"I wanted to be chaser," said Suri. She hated how small her voice sounded.

"Congratulations." Marcus, Simon, Trevor, and Michael sauntered over. Marcus grinned at Suri and Nate, showing off his uneven, yellow teeth.

Michael looked down at Suri. "No hard feelings, kid?"

"No…" Suri trailed off. She looked at Marcus. "Why me as the keeper?"

"You did better than anyone as keeper. Also, you're not built to be a chaser."

Marcus frowned at her expression. "You should consider yourself lucky you're on the team. I wanted to build an all boys team, but it would have been stupid to pass up your skill. Look, Rosier-Black, do you want to be on the team or not?"

"I want to be on the team," Suri answered, working to keep her tone even. She had put her hands in her pockets, and they were balled into tight fists—she had never wanted to hit someone as much as she wanted to hit Marcus. His smug look was irritating.

"Good," said Marcus. "Practice starts next Wednesday at six sharp, don't eat a heavy dinner unless you want it coming back up."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey friendly faces! Thanks so much for reading this story. I am honestly so excited to write it. With that being said. The next few chapters will have _a lot_ of quidditch, so bare with me. I promise it's for a purpose! That doesn't mean STOP READING, because if you do, you'll miss story plots along the way. Unless you want to miss them, then that's up to you. **

**Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	14. Nobody Special

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 14: Nobody Special

* * *

 ** _November 1989_**

October flew through Hogwarts in a blur. The grounds were covered in frost during the early mornings, a promise of a cold winter to come. As the fall quickly passed and November began, the students at Hogwarts began to buzz with restless energy—quidditch season was finally upon them. Throughout the halls, classrooms, and library, students could be heard passionately debating the skill of their house and placing bets on who would win the house cup this year.

This time of year was torture for a girl like Mara Selwyn who had no interest in sports. Mara found herself in the library with her friends Nate Avery and Suri Rosier-Black, who were both quieter than usual.

"Guys," said Mara, rising from the table they occupied. "Are you ready to go to supper?"

"Definitely," said Nate eagerly shutting his potions textbook and shoved it into his knapsack. "Ready, Suri? I think Suri's dead."

Mara and Nate looked at Suri. Her head was down on the table, pillowed by her arms as she slept deeply.

"How long has she been like this?"

"For the past fifteen minutes." Mara sighed and shook Suri's shoulder until she opened her grey-blue eyes, bleary with exhaustion.

"Whasswrong," she slurred, sitting up.

"You drooled on your flobberworm mucus," Mara answered drily, giggling with Suri wiped the corner of her mouth.

"Oh no, I did! The ink started to run too!" Suri groaned angrily as she wiped at her essay for potions class, smearing the ink even more. "I'm going to have to re-do this!"

"This is why quidditch is dumb. You both are falling asleep during homework and I hardly see you anymore."

"Flint is making us train really late," Nate explained. "The first game is tomorrow and it's against Gryffindor. He says if it wasn't for Wood getting knocked out by a bludger last year, we never would have beat them."

"And it's Family Day," Suri added, finally coherent enough to focus. "So he's pressuring us really hard."

"Well, that means he's a good captain, but you guys are losing sleep." Mara struggled to support her friends while defending her crush.

"You guys should go without me," Suri urged, unrolling new parchment. "I need to redo this essay."

"Can't you do it tomorrow?" Nate scrunched his forehead. "You already finished the assignment, and re-writing it shouldn't take you too long."

Suri shook her head. "I need it done tonight because I won't have time tomorrow. My grandmother is coming for Family Day and to see the game. Afterward she wants to spend time with me. Save me a sandwich and some chips, will you?"

"Suri…"

"I'm fine, guys, really." She waved her friends away before she picked up her quill. "Go get dinner. I'll see you both later."

Mara and Nate shared a concerned look before they finally left. When they glanced back at her, Suri already had her head bent over her work, copying down her essay onto fresh parchment.

The whole process took twenty minutes because Suri made her writing was legible, and the exact foot-long length that Snape wanted. When she finally put down her quill, Suri leaned back in her chair, rubbing the soreness out of her hand while she re-read her work.

Waiting for the ink to dry, she decided to take a lap around the library to stretch her legs. Her wandering walk led her to the archives section of the library. She walked the length of the floor-to-ceiling shelves and stopped at the yearbooks from the nineteen-seventies era of Hogwarts. Suri reached up, using her toes for extra leverage, and pulled down a skinny mahogany colored book with. She ran her hand over the golden Hogwarts seal pressed into the book. In beautiful calligraphy, "1972" was also pressed in gold across the front.

Sitting on the ground, Suri propped the yearbook on her legs and skimmed the pages. The black and white faces of a several hundred students, semi-frozen in time blurred by until she stopped in the Gryffindor's second year section. Young Sirius Black with shaggy hair and unfathomable eyes stared up at her with a cheeky grin. Suri touched the side of her face; the softness of his cheeks reminded her of her own.

The image of Sirius Black said something to her, but with all the photos, the pages were charmed to be soundless. Suri raised an eyebrow, and the childhood image of her father said something again, his lips exaggerating as if he was speaking loudly and slowly.

"Er, sorry, I don't understand," Suri responded, her heart pounding.

It appeared that Sirius could hear her. With an exaggerated sigh—his dramatics made Suri smile—he ran from his position in the yearbook and passed through several photos, earning dirty looks from his irritated peers.

With shaking fingers, Suri hurriedly turned the pages to keep up with him. Eventually he stopped in the Slytherin section, under the name "Contessa Rosier".

At Contessa's, Tessa's, picture, Suri admired her mum at his age. From her grandmother's memory she saw earlier that summer, Tessa looked almost exactly the same. Suri knew, that if Tessa at the age she was in this yearbook stood beside her, she and Suri would be nearly the same height but still a bit taller.

Tessa smiled up at Suri, and her smile was open and inviting, that was until she realized Sirius was in the photo with her. When she saw him, her expression changed to one that conveyed a challenge. Sirius looked up at Suri, as though looking for his audience, before he wrapped his arms around Tessa and kissed her enthusiastically on the cheek. Tessa reacted with a soundless screech and pushed him away, making the boy throw his head back with laughter.

In spite of herself, Suri found herself giggling. She wondered if these photos of Tessa and Sirius knew who she was.

"Do you have any idea who I am," she asked the photos.

Young Sirius and Tessa looked at each other before they looked back at her. It was Tessa who responded first, she cocked her head to the side and shook it. No.

"T-that's okay," Suri murmured, feeling her throat tighten. "I'm nobody special."

Tessa smiled up at her, her eyes searching. She shook her head again and said something. Suri wished she knew what the photos were saying. With a frown, Tessa turned to Sirius and pushed his shoulder. The photo tugged at her own hair then pointed at Sirius's hair before she pointed up at Tessa. Sirius frowned slightly and looked up at her, almost thoughtfully before saying something to Tessa.

Suri jumped when Sirius and Tessa looked at her again, as if trying to figure out a puzzle. Suddenly overwhelmed, Suri slammed the yearbook shut and put it back on the shelf. She took a shuddering breath and another until her breathing was calm again. Once certain that she wasn't going to cry, Suri left the archive section.

Gathering her belongings she left the library. She turned the corner at the same time a pair of twin figures did.

"Pardon me," Suri murmured, moving around the twins. Instead of dodging them, she was blocked by one. She narrowed her eyes. "Can I help you?"

"We played together when we were little," said one of the twins. "Of course George and I don't remember that, but Charlie reminded us."

"Charlie…"

"Charlie Weasley, our eldest brother," George supplied. He lifted an arm as if giving Charlie's height measurement. "You know him. Fifth year, quidditch captain."

"I guess," Suri shrugged. "Well, yes, we played together once or twice."

"Charlie told us," Fred repeated.

"Right, well, I'm glad that you remember. If there's nothing else I'm going to go now."

"Not so fast, Rosie." The Weasley twins held out their arms, blocking her path.

"What did you call me?" Suri's voice raised a pitch.

"Rosie," George repeated. "Rosier-Black is such a long name, and Rosie suits you much better."

"Or you could call me _Suri_ …"

"Anyway, Rosie," Fred continued, "we've heard a little about you. Something about making a girl from our house go to another school because you got into a fight with her."

"I didn't make Jessica Yates do anything. It was her choice," Suri groaned. She was tired of explaining the situation to people.

"That doesn't matter so much. Percy said she was annoying anyway," said Fred.

"Percy..."

"Our other brother. He's a third year."

"Oh, like Oliver."

"You know Oliver, but you don't know Charlie or Percy?" George looked surprised.

"I haven't talked to either one of them. I don't talk to many Gryffindors unless it's necessary."

"You're right, Rosie. And we don't like Slytherin."

"Slytherin doesn't like you." Suri rolled her eyes, feeling a headache coming on with these two.

"That's okay. But we might like you."

Suri regarded the boys warily. "You like me. Why?"

"Because Charlie reminded us of what your mum did," George's brown eyes were bright when he smiled at her.

"Apparently your mum would come over to our house to check on the charms she and her friends put up to help protect our family when You-Know-Who was around. And when your mum and our mum talked about the important things, we shoved biscuits into our mouths and annoyed Percy."

"Ron must have been born by then," George interjected.

"How would I know? Even if he was, he was a dumb baby at the time."

"I'm just saying, we probably bothered him instead of Percy."

"You're right, Georgie, absolutely right. That _is_ an important detail."

Suri looked from Fred to George and shoved her way past them. "You both are carrying on a really interesting conversation, and I don't think you need me. I'm going."

Suri had managed to break away from the tornado that was the Weasley twins when she heard them call after her.

"Wait, Rosie!"

She turned. "What now?"

George—or maybe it was Fred, though she was pretty sure it was George—smiled at her while Fred nodded his agreement. "Thank you, Rosie."

"For what?"

"For what your mum did. Your mum helped to protect our mum."

"Oh, well, that was Tessa Rosier, not me."

"Sure, but we can't thank her, so we're thanking you. Mum would want us to. I'm sure if she knew we didn't, we would get a howler the next day."

"In that case," Suri smiled kindly at the boys. "From Tessa Rosier and from me, you're welcome."

"One more thing."

"Yes?"

Fred looked at his brother who gave him a nod. Their smiles became wickedly mischievous. "Good luck on the game tomorrow, Rosie. We hope you lose."

 *****End of Second Year timeline*****

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey friendly faces! Thanks so much for reading this story. I am honestly so excited to write it. With that being said. The next few chapters will have _a lot_ of quidditch, so bare with me. I promise it's for a purpose! That doesn't mean STOP READING, because if you do, you'll miss story plots along the way. Unless you want to miss them, then that's up to you. **

**Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	15. A Play, the Responses and Revenge

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 15: A Play, the Responses, and Revenge

* * *

 ** _November 1990 - February 1991_**

 ** _**Third Year**_**

"Welcome to the first game of the season, Gryffindor vs Slytherin! I'm your announcer Lee Jordan, and I am proud to introduce to you...GRYFFINDOR!"

The stadium erupted into cheers when Gryffindor flew onto the field, a block of red and gold.

"Last year Gryffindor was led to House Cup victory by their captain Charlie Weasley. This year, with bittersweet support, Gryffindor is led by its new captain Oliver Wood. We are expecting some great things from Wood! Also, new to the team this year and coming in as beaters are Fred and George Weasley! Let me tell you, our rivals are in for a hell of-"

"Mr. Jordan!"

"Sorry McGonagall, this is my first time announcing, and I didn't know I couldn't say hell—sorry! The Weasley twins are sure to give everyone a run for their galleons! And finally, for the sake of sportsmanship, Slytherin. They have some new people too, I guess-"

"Lee, if you can't be unbiased, you will no longer be announcer!"

Slytherin, led by Marcus Flint, shot into the sky before Gryffindor got into position. No matter how many times she did it, Suri never grew tired of the feeling of soaring through the air far above the ground. After their lap around the field, she pulled her broom to a halt on Marcus's left side.

Oliver glanced at her, and Suri gave him a nod. He quickly returned it with one of his own. The last time she had played against him was around the same time last year when she debuted in her first game. Slytherin was in the lead until Charlie Weasley caught the snitch in Gryffindor's undefeated season.

"Captains, shake hands," Madame Hooch, dressed in the customary black and white of referees commanded.

Oliver and Marcus tightly gripped each other's hands as though attempting to break them.

"Keepers, to your places."

"Keep the bludger away from me this time, Avery," Suri teased before she flew to her post.

"I'm only helping you stay alert!" Nate called with a chuckle.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and tossed the quaffle into the air.

"Gryffindor takes control of the quaffle, and oh! What a tackle from Slytherin, those... _people_." Lee noticed McGonagall glare at him. "But look! Gryffindor was able to recover the quaffle and they are racing toward the goal!"

Suri locked in on the player racing toward her, mimicking her flying movements. When Gryffindor's chaser, Katie Bell, got close enough, she aimed. The quaffle shot out of Bell's hand and Suri knocked it away with her broom, making it go into the arms of Michael Polley who caught it easily.

Michael zoomed toward Oliver and his shot was also blocked. Suri groaned with the rest of Slytherin's supporters.

The first ten minutes of the game continued in the locked stalemate with neither team able to score.

"Charlie Weasley sees the snitch! Oh, so does Colin Bledsoe! Now it's a race to see who gets it first! Alicia Spinnet has control of the quaffle and she is racing toward Slytherin. The beaters are locked in a match with the bludgers, and they look like they're out for blood."

Suri watched as Nate cracked a bludger far away from her and she breathed a sigh of relief. It gave her time to focus on Alicia.

Once close enough, Alicia threw the quaffle toward the middle hoop and Suri reached out for it with her left hand. At the same time the second bludger came flying toward her, and connected with her arm.

Suri cried out in pain, and cradled her left arm to her chest. "Alicia Spinnet scores, and Slytherin is down! Gryffindor is there to recover the quaffle! With Slytherin's keeper, Suri Rosier-Black, out of the game, this game might as well be over! Sucks to be you, Slytherin!"

Sure enough, a second Gryffindor chaser raced toward the posts just as Suri began to lower her broom. Pride got the best of her, and biting her lip, Suri spurred her broom back into the air, her arm throbbing with white-hot pain.

"Rosier-Black is back in the game! She's clearly injured, but the girl deserves points for pressing on! Someone should really take a look at her arm, though." Lee announced.

She saw the quaffle aimed at the goal post furthest from her. With a groan, she raced at full speed to make it in time. She had no choice but to use her injured arm. Resting her hurting arm on her broom for balance, she reached for the quaffle with her good arm and tucked it to chest. Her save made her lose her balance and the broom lurched forward.

Suri let out a gasp that was a mixture of fear and pain. She bit her tongue so hard to keep from crying out she tasted blood. Her broom launched forward and downward. To save herself from falling over the front of her broom, Suri made her broom flip in the air, and righted her balance. Pushing the sweat and hair out of her eyes, Suri felt as though she would pass out.

"Rosier-Black struggles to regain her balance and she doesn't look so good. Charlie Weasley and Colin Bledsoe are battling for the snitch still! Someone catch it so the girl can leave the game!"

"What the hell was that," Marcus yelled, flying over to Suri.

"I can't play anymore," Suri yelled back.. Her cheeks were red with the shame of letting her captain see her cry. "It hurts too much."

"The game isn't over until the snitch is caught, get back to the posts!"

"Marcus—"

"Now, Rosier-Black!" Marcus demanded before he sped back into the game.

Several feet away Nate whistled and caught Suri's attention. He mouthed something to her, probably asking if she was alright. Suri shook her head once and flew back to the posts.

The pain in her arm throbbed so much it made her dizzy, and Suri missed two goals in a row. She had never wanted a game to end as much as she did now.

"CHARLIE WEASLEY CATCHES THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

Cheers erupted throughout the stadium, but they sounded muffled in Suri's ears as she lowered her broom to ground and lined up with her team to shake the hands of Gryffindor's team.

"Good game, good game," each player wished as they tapped hands. Suri could only nod and hope she managed a smile instead of a grimace. She didn't notice when Fred Weasley mumbled an apology for the bludger he had hit that might have been the cause of her injury.

Marcus sneered at Oliver; he didn't shake any Gryffindor's hand. Oliver stood taller, squaring his young shoulders though he was still shorter than Marcus. "You should check on your keeper. She's hurt."

"If you ask me, she deserves it. A good keeper wouldn't have gotten injured."

Nate, who stood behind Marcus in the line-up looked back at Suri, and either she didn't hear or she pretended not to.

" _Flint_ ," it was Michael Polley who spoke up. "Suri's hurt pretty badly, you should have let her off the field."

"Are you captain, Polley?" Marcus turned on his heel and walked up to Michael. Though Michael was two years older than him, both Flint and Polley were the same height.

"It's just a game, Flint. We all wanted to win-"

"I asked you a question," Marcus said. "Are you captain?" Marcus scoffed when Michael didn't respond.

"I thought so, Polley."

"Suri, I'll take you to the hospital wing." Michael stalked over to Suri, his expression vexed at Marcus's entitlement.

"I'm coming too," said Nate, putting a hand on Suri's back as he guided her off the field.

"I can walk, you know, it's just my arm," Suri murmured, looking at her feet. "I can walk there myself."

"Whatever, kid. You should have been off the field before the game ended." Michael patted the top of her head rather awkwardly.

"And you can't get rid of me," said Nate, earning the smallest of smiles from her.

"Trust me, I've tried."

Once in the hospital wing, Nate and Michael sat on a cot opposite of Suri while Madam Pomfrey expertly wrapped Suri's arm.

"I guess that means no volunteering in here for a while," Suri joked, watching the way Pomfrey rolled the bandage around her arm.

"Absolutely not, I won't have you clumsily knocking into things with only one arm. There." Pomfrey pulled her wand out of her apron and tapped Suri's arm. The bandages around it immediately began to puff up and harden.

"Also, no quidditch for two weeks until the cast comes off. Your arm was broken in two places, and the potion managed to heal your bones to a fracture instead of a complete break."

Suri thought back to the potion that tasted like salamander bogeys and shivered. "Two weeks? But I need to practice!"

"You _need_ to heal, Miss Rosier-Black." Pomfrey sighed at the boys across from her. "Get off from the cot you too. These beds are only for the injured." Michael and Nate immediately jumped to their feet.

Suri stood too. "Any chance of this healing faster?"

"A healing spell wouldn't work on your breaks," said Pomfrey, "so this is the next best option. Remember to keep the bandages dry."

"You guys really didn't have to stay," Suri said as she walked back to the dormitories with Michael and Nate.

"I can't believe Marcus didn't come by," Nate shook his head and Michael made a noise of disgust.

"I wouldn't have wanted him to come by."

"What he said about you wasn't right either. You're a great keeper." Nate was on a roll. His hazel eyes burned with anger. "Who does that mountain troll think he is? If he was the one with the broken arm, he would be writhing on the ground crying."

"You are incredibly passionate about my arm," Suri waved her injured arm in front of Nate's face. "My arm and I will survive, Nathaniel. Don't worry."

"Avery is right, kid," Michael added. "You're a great keeper."

"That's only because you took my spot as a chaser. I should have knocked you off your broom during tryouts last year." Suri rolled her eyes when Michael ruffled her hair. She spent the first two games of her second year upset that Michael was was selected to be a chaser instead of her. Then she got to know him and realized he wasn't that bad of a person. He could be oafish at times, but he was a force on the field. Michael also treated her like a sister once they warmed up to each other and that was always nice.

"You wouldn't have been able to," Michael laughed. "You're tiny."

"I might be short, but I'm mighty."

"I won't argue with you there, kid."

Nate watched the exchange with narrowed eyes.

"Sacred Twenty-Eight," he grumbled the password to the painting that separated them from their common room.

"I can't wait to shower," Suri sighed as the finally entered the common room. She frowned with disgust as both Michael and Nate sat on the leather couch in front of the fire, still in their quidditch gear.

Nate leaned forward and stared directly into the fire. "You know, Gryffindor has a couple new players this year. They deserve a proper welcome."

"The Weasley twins?" Michael raised a blonde eyebrow at Nate. He must have noticed the gleam in Nate's eyes, because he then smiled wickedly.

"Whatever it is you're planning, Avery, count me in."

"Count me out," Suri laughed and walked away from the boys. "We lost fairly. Getting hurt in quidditch happens."

Nate and Michael ignored her as they bent their heads together to whisper conspiratorally. Nate's fair skin was flushed red, and it wasn't quite clear if this was from the fire or his company.

After her shower, Suri found the boys sitting in front of the fire still—but they had at least changed out of their quidditch robes. They were also now joined by their teammates. Nate animatedly told the team his plan when Marcus looked up the staircase and noticed Suri.

"Rosier-Black!" Marcus called as he jumped off the couch and walked over to her. He glanced at her arm with a judgmental eyebrow. Suri refrained from sneering at him. She knew if this were his injury, he'd be lamenting to anyone who'd listen.

"How long are you out for," asked Marcus.

"Two weeks. I'd have to miss practice, but at least I won't miss a game."

"I'd rather you miss practice than a game, but I've been thinking since our loss today," Marcus admitted, touching his chin thoughtfully.

"I'm glad there's been one positive outcome," said Suri, and her comment went right over Marcus's head as he prattled on.

"You weren't fast enough to dodge the bludger."

"I w-wasn't fast enough…?" Suri sputtered. "You're saying it's _my_ fault my arm broke?"

"If you were faster, you would have dodged it," Marcus continued. "And the only way to be faster is to either get a faster broom—and you already got that—or be lighter to increase speed."

Suri felt blood rush to her cheeks as she followed where Marcus was going. When she spoke, she fought to keep her tone controlled. "What exactly are you suggesting, Flint?"

"I think you need to lose a few pounds these next to weeks and consider that training," Marcus said bluntly. His grey eyes raked up her body in the most unsettling way.

"You've put on some weight, Rosier-Black. I didn't want to say anything, but it's effected your performance, so I'm saying this as your captain."

"You want me to lose weight these next two weeks."

"About ten pounds should do it, the team would do best with less fat and more muscle," Marcus continued, not catching the deadness in Suri's voice. "Does this sound reasonable."

"Less fat more muscle," Suri echoed and gave Marcus a falsely bright smile. "I can do it."

"Good, because I hope there won't be any more repeats of your injury." Marcus smirked at her before he rejoined the team.

After he left, instead of joining her team, Suri headed up to her bed, uninterested in being around people. Though it was still early, she sat on her bed and drew her curtains around her to block out the world. For a minute she stared at her stuffed wolf, affectionately named Uncle, and bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.

Reaching under her t-shirt, Suri touched her midsection that rolled over the waistband of her jeans. She thought of her friends Carly Davis, Mara Selwyn, and Gemma Farley and doubted any of them had to deal with stomach rolls. She felt a mixture of shame and anger. In a way, she knew Marcus was right—she _had_ gained weight over the summer and it was just as frustrating then. She had no idea why she gained weight, she practiced every day and limited her dessert intake, and tried every trick in the book she knew to keep the weight off, and still she was heavier than she'd ever been.

A fat tear fell from her grey-blue eyes and plopped onto her knee. Suri wiped angrily at her face, but she knew it was no use. Once her tears came, there was no stopping them. She hated herself for struggling with her weight. And she hated Marcus Flint too, for confirming her fears.

 **X**

The next few days passed in a fog, and Suri was consistently hungry and she had a constant headache. She skipped all desserts and restricted her meals to miniscule proportions. She hoped a weekend with her friends at Hogsmeade would get her mind off of the things she couldn't eat.

"Let's go to Honeydukes, I heard there's new taffy flavors there!" Carly tugged on Mara's arm and propelled her forward.

"I've been wanting some chocolate frogs for a while," Nate said and followed after them. He glanced back at Suri who remained rooted to her spot. "Coming, Suri?"

"Er, I don't think so. We're still going to The Three Broomstick right? I'll get us a table there."

Nate gave her a strange look. He gave her a lot of those since she started her diet. Suri smiled at her and pointed over her shoulder at the pub. "It's going to be packed in there! You'll thank me when we have a table."

"I'll go with you," Willem Thorne volunteered. "The smell of Honeyduke's gives me a headache."

"You're such a bore, Willem," Carly rolled her eyes. "Order me a butterbeer! I'll be there soon!"

"Make that two," Mara called.

"Three," Nate shouted and ran after the girls.

Suri and Willem walked past several shops to get to The Three Broomsticks that chilly November afternoon. The bell above the door chimed when they arrived. Willem let out a low whistle.

"It was a good call to come here and find a table, it's packed!"

"Oh, there's a booth in the back corner! Quick!" Suri and Willem laughed as they raced to the booth.

"I win!" Suri slid into the booth first, and Willem groaned as he sat across from her.

"That's only because you're not very tall and can easily slide past people!"

"You're a sore loser." Suri laughed when Willem stuck out his tongue.

"I'm going to go get those butterbeers, do you want one?"

She could practically taste the warm, frothy sweetness, but instead she declined with a shake of her ehad. "I'm going to skip butterbeer today. Can you get me a tea, please?"

"Four butterbeers and one tea coming up."

While she waited, Suri shrugged off her thick winter robe and took off her gloves, settling into the booth. She looked at her cast, and anxiously counted down the days before it would come off—just one more week.

"Suri?"

Suri looked up from her arm and at her visitor. "Oliver! Hello."

Oliver smiled at her and looked at her empty booth. "Are you here by yourself?"

"No. Willem is getting our drinks and the others are coming soon. You?"

"No, my friends are over there," Oliver pointed across the pub, "I just needed to use the loo. How's your arm?"

"Peachy."

"The Weasleys feel really bad about that one," said Oliver. "It was their first game, so they're a bit...they're a bit like human bludgers themselves."

"Pft, don't worry about it," Suri toyed with her mother's necklace around her neck. "That's quidditch, injuries happen. They only feel bad because I'm a girl. If it were anyone else on my team, I'm sure they wouldn't think twice. Besides, Flint seems to think it's my fault that I got hurt anyway."

"He does?" Oliver folded his arms over his chest, his eyebrows knitted together with concern. "How so?"

Suri mentally kicked herself. She shouldn't be telling Oliver these things, especially since he was her rival team. But the way he looked at her made her feel like she could say anything and he'd still think of her in a nice way. "Marcus seems to believe I wasn't fast enough on the broom. He seems to think if I weighed less, I wouldn't have this cast."

"That's the dumbest thing I've heard! If you were any lighter, you'd be better suited as a seeker! No one could have dodged that bludger _and_ catch the quaffle at the same time. Does he have you on some sort of diet?"

When Suri remained quiet, Oliver grew even more exasperated.

"I won't say anything against your captain—"

"Oh please do. I do it all the time."

"—But making you diet is the wrong call. You're _built_ to be a keeper."

"I…" Suri frowned. "I don't know if that's an insult or not."

"It's not, I promise." Oliver sighed, and Suri couldn't help but notice how his cheeks grew pink.

"A keeper should look like you. You aren't very tall, which gives you the advantage of gravity and balance. That helps you do the crazy stunts you do as a keeper. If you were any smaller, you'd be best as a seeker. Any bigger, you'd be a beater because your strength would be necessary to keep bludgers away from your team. If you were taller, you'd be a great chaser. You're fine the way you are, Suri, honestly."

Oliver had an almost maniacal look in his dark eyes as he talked about quidditch bodies, but Suri hung onto his last words. She looked down at her hands on the table. "Er, thanks, I guess."

"As a captain…" Oliver trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck, as if unsure whether to give her advice or not. "I would say, continue to focus on your technique over your body. At the end of the day, anyone can play in any position as long as they're good. You're good, Rosier-Black, okay?"

"Okay," Suri answered, she feared what Oliver might say if she disagreed with him. She was almost certain he would go into a history of quidditch rant.

"Oi! Suri!"

Along with Willem, Nate, Carly and Mara walked up to the booth carrying a mug of butterbeer. Mara passed Suri her tea.

"I should probably get going," said Oliver, offering the slightest nod to Suri's friends. He eyed her bland beverage of choice now that he knew about her diet.

"Cheers," Suri saluted him with her tea, her eyes unfathomable as he walked away.

"What was that all about," asked Mara, licking the butterbeer froth from her upper lip.

"He was checking on my arm. Apparently the Weasley Twins feel bad about it."

"They'll have their moment," Nate promised, sipping thoughtfully on his drink. "It's coming."

"What's coming?" Suri warmed her fingers on her warm mug, trying hard not to be envious of her friends' drinks. She knew if she had a butterbeer, they would all be in a competition to see who had the best froth mustache.

"We have a plan for Gryffindor. We just need to fine-tune it. We're going to hex their brooms."

"That could be dangerous," said Willem, shaking his head.

"We aren't going to kill them. I'm not a monster. Just a small hex, whenever they turn right, their broom will go left and such."

"Confundus charm," Suri answered, sipping on her tea. When she looked up, she found all of her friends looking at her. "What?"

"Confundus only works on people, right?"

"No, it can also be used on inanimate objects, and it can be done nonverbally, but it's tricky to master."

"Why do you know so much about this charm," Mara quirked a pale eyebrow.

"You guys should know about it too. We learned about it during that bit in Defense Against the Dark Arts about dueling from Professor Lovelace. She said there are two rules of dueling: one, always have the quickest hand. Two, when in doubt, use the Confundus Charm. It's a shame her parents got ill and she had to leave to care for them. She was brilliant."

"Could you do it then? The Confundus Charm?" Nate leaned forward, his eyes intently focused on Suri.

"I'm sure I could, charms work is easy for me. Why are you so interested in this, Nate? You've never been so serious about a prank."

Just then the bell chimed, signaling new patrons in the pub. Michael Polley walked in with his seventh year friends. Nate immediately looked down at his mug.

"No special reason, Rosier-Black. None at all."

 **X**

 **February 1991**

"GO GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINDOR!" The stadium collectively groaned when Oliver Wood failed to block a quaffle. Slytherin and Hufflepuff cheered.

"It's like Wood's never played before," Nate smirked mischeviously.

"I regret teaching you that charm," Suri said into Nate's ear so no one around them heard. She winced as Oliver tried to steer his broom left, and his broom kept going right.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine."

"He'd better be." Suri frowned Oliver struggle to regain control of his charmed broom. He wasn't the only one struggling. Nate had managed to cast the charm on one of the Weasley's broom as well.

"Hufflepuff is in the lead by thirty points," Lee Jordan announced, and Slytherin started their chant.

"CHOKE CHOKE GRYFFINDOR, CHOKE CHOKE GRYFFINDOR!"

"Oh thank Merlin, Wood _finally_ seems like he's getting it. I was beginning to worry about his ability to even read a book."

"Stop that, I'm sure Oliver's smart," Suri defended, her eyes trained on Oliver. He gingerly navigated his broom in reverse, finally figuring out how to work against the charm.

"Whatever you say." Nate groaned when Hufflepuff failed to block Gryffindor from scoring.

"Finally! Hufflepuff sees the snitch! Will they manage to catch it in time?!" Announced Lee Jordan

The stadium erupted into cheers and shouts again. Hufflepuff's seeker raced across the field after the snitch, and Charlie Weasley sped after him. The Weasleys and Oliver continued to struggle with their brooms.

"I can't watch this anymore," she murmured. She covered her mouth and uttered a counter-charm. Oliver's broom seemed to shake violently in his hands and he gripped it tightly to keep from falling off. From the bleachers, it looked as though he swore just as Lee Jordan announced:

"Hufflepuff catches the snitch! HUFFLEPUFF WINS!"

Slytherin cheered loudly and high-fived each other. "We're in the last game!" Suri shouted excitedly, and her stomach released its knots. They needed Hufflepuff to win, because that tied Slytherin and Gryffindor with one loss each—making them the top teams for the Inter-House Quidditch Cup.

"I assume that was you're doing, Avery," Michael Polley asked as they left the stadium.

"I had some help to perfect the charm, but yes."

"Nice going," Polley slapped Nate on the back.

"Hey, Rosie!"

Suri turned at the sound of the name she hated so much. It was, of course, Fred and George Weasley, and they didn't look happy. She waved off Michael and Nate, promising to catch up with them later.

"Fred. George," Suri answered. "What do you want?"

"Touché" said George.

"Pardon?"

"You charmed my broom, and by the looks of it, Wood's too."

"You're blaming _me_ for your poor flying today? That's nice."

"Your team had a lot riding on this game. You _needed_ us to lose." Fred said irritably.

"Not to mention, you're still mad about your broken arm." This was George. Though they generally had a love-hate relationship, Suri knew the Weasley twins were livid with her, believing that it was her and not Nate who cast the Confundus Charm.

"Please. My arm healed a long time ago, and the only grudge I hold is against Professor Snape, but only because he started it. Gryffindor is the least of my worries, Weasels."

"I almost believe you." George narrowed his eyes. "But you're the only one on your team with enough talent to cast any sort of charm for a duration of the match."

"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me, but I'm not the only one on my team who can cast a Confundus Charm…oops, I've said too much." Suri's tone dripped with sarcasm.

The Weasley twins glared at her before they bent their heads together in a private conference. She heard something about "telling the truth" and "Slytherin scum". Navigating through their minds, she found that they wanted to believe her, but her Slytherin loyalties made them doubt her.

As subtly as possible, Suri attempted a new legillimency trick she had learned. In George's mind, she pulled up the memory of them talking outside of their library, when they thanked her for her mother's work.

"If you didn't cast the charm, you know who did. You're protecting a friend." said George as the twins turned to her.

Suri faked a yawn to suppress a surprised smile. Her trick worked. "Now you sound paranoid, and I don't have time for conspiracy theories. See you around, Weasels."

With her back turn, she heard one of them call after her. "Well-played, Rosie, but this is far from over!"

She turned back to the Weasley twins and winked at them. "Blame me all you want, Weasels, but you know I don't care enough to jinx a broom. For the kings of all things prank related, you sure aren't very receptive when the tables are turned."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: the last chapter still took place in Suri's second year. This is her third year now. Also, I think we have just one more quidditch heavy chapter after this. Thanks for reading! I honestly love writing.**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	16. Ugly Secrets

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 16: Ugly Secrets

* * *

 ** _May 1991_**

"I don't care if you're in the hospital for the rest of the school year. We are not leaving without winning the Quidditch Cup. Do whatever it takes to win, am I clear, team?"

"What happened to playing for fun," Suri wondered, but still she put her hand in with the rest of her team.

"Slytherin on three! One...two...three…"

"SLYTHERIN!"

 **O**

"Slytherin is out for blood! They're up by one hundred points, and no one has seen the snitch yet! C'mon Gryffindor, don't lose to those dirty—"

"JORDAN!"

By this point it just felt unnecessary to block any of Gryffindor's attempts to score, but still Suri dove for any quaffle that came near. She dove, spiraled and twisted in the sky and earned gasps from the bleachers for her reckless flying.

She knew McGonagall was worried that she would fall and break her neck.

She saw Snape watch with disdain as he thought she was a show-off like her degenerate father.

And Dumbledore knew she was navigating through people's minds. Quickly she pulled out of his stream of consciousness, but she was far too elated to care about Dumbledore's opinion right now. The Inter-House Cup was as good as Slytherin's, but far more importantly she was _flying_.

On the ground, she had to be Suri Rosier-Black, a girl who people watched warily, as if her compassion was a cover and she was one minute away from killing muggles like Sirius Black. On the ground, she had to bite her tongue against Snape's cutting remarks or Marcus Flint's horrible leadership. On the ground, she had to work hard to keep unwanted weight off of her.

But high above everyone else, she had to be none of those things. Flying, and, ultimately, playing quidditch was everything, even if she was the first girl in her mother's lineage to not be a chaser in four generations.

"SLYTHERIN CATCHES THE SNITCH! To our great dismay, Slytherin wins the Inter-House Quidditch Cup with a score of three hundred and eighty to seventy."

Gryffindor and Slytherin lined up to shake hands after the game; the players on Gryffindor's team could hardly look at Slytherin. Suri was behind Nate in line, and she heard when Nate gripped Fred Weasley's hand hard and pulled him forward.

Into his ear, Nate said "What happened, Weasel? You weren't even under a Confundus this time." He laughed and pulled away.

"That's _my_ name for them, Nate," Suri rolled her eyes, making her irritation. She had given Fred and George the name "weasel" as a gentle teasing. It irked her that Nate used it maliciously. Nate was too ecstatic over their victory to care.

Fred and George were fuming by the time Suri got to them in line. Fred looked ready to attack Nate after he learned that it was Nate who hexed them during their game against Hufflepuff. Suri only shrugged her shoulders at the boys.

"I told you that it wasn't me who hexed you."

 **X**

There was no party like a Slytherin after party. A couple students had brought back a ton of food from the kitchens, and some older students brought out their hidden alcohol. It was a rule of thumb in Slytherin that first through fourth years could attend parties for an hour before they had to disperse, but since Suri and Nate were on the team, they were allowed to stay. Of course they brought Mara, Carly, and Willem with them.

The firewhiskey's cinnamon taste burned Suri's throat every time she took a swig, and by the end of the night she felt like she was floating and everything was funny. At one point she plopped on the couch beside Nate, who sat alone.

"What's so funny," asked Nate when Suri giggled. He tried to look stern, but immediately dissolved into laughter too.

"Not a bad way to end the season, Avery."

"Pleasse, you're a great keeper." There was a slur in his speech. Suri poked her best friend's shoulder.

"What are you doing here all by yourself? What's wrong?"

"I'm not by myself. Mara and Willem were here just a minute ago but went to get snacks."

"Avery! Suri! My teammates!" Michael Polley jumped over the back of the couch and wedged his way between Suri and Nate, hooking an arm around both of them. "Two of my favorites!"

Suri laughed politely and ducked out from under Michael's arm. Michael was incredibly affectionate while drunk.

"You both _killed_ it out there today! Truly, this is the best team Slytherin has had in ages. I owe the best damn seventh year to you two." He then leaned over and kissed Suri's then Nate's forehead.

"Okay, Polley, time to cut you off from the firewhiskey," Suri laughed, wiping at her forehead. "No more kisses."

"Oh alright, kid, you're prolly right," Michael laughed. He then rose to his unsteady feet. "As for me, I need to find the loo." He then weaved his way through the throngs of Slytherins still at the party.

"Oh I do hope he doesn't get lost and mistakes the succulents for a toilet," said Suri, her eyebrows knitted together. She looked at Nate and noticed the curious look on his face. She wanted to poke through his thoughts more than anything, but she promised herself she would never invade the minds of someone she considered close unless necessary.

"When you're doing those crazy flips of yours, do you think about doing them?"

"What do you mean?" Nate's question caught Suri by surprise.

"Your flying," Nate urged, his tone exasperated. "Do you think about taking your hands off the broom, or that you might fall?"

"Not really. Today I did because I got bored, but usually no. I just think, "I want to stop that quaffle" and do whatever it takes to do it. I just think about getting what I want on the field. Why?"

"Getting what you want…" Nate murmured. "Thanks Suri, I've got to go do something."

Suri watched as bounded up the stairs toward the dormitories, and she ached to know what he was up to.

"Where's Nate," Willem asked a minute later when he and Mara returned with plates of food. Suri plucked one of the chocolate covered strawberries from Mara's plate and stuck out her tongue when Mara protested.

"I dunno. I saw him heading toward the dormitories, he didn't say why."

"He probably needed to use the loo, he did drink quite a bit."

After a few minutes, when Suri glanced back, she saw Nate running down the stairs, taking them two at a time, and his face was absolutely pale. He didn't come back to the couch but instead headed toward the exit and left the Common Room altogether.

"I need to use the toilet," Suri said quickly and left Willem and Mara to go after Nate. As she was leaving, she heard Michael Polley and a friend come down the stairs. Michael was laughing as if he heard the funniest joke.

"—he's a bloody faggot!"

Suri stopped in her tracks and turned around, storming up to Michael. His blue eyes fixed on her when she came closer.

"Kid! You'll never guess what your friend just told me, well _you_ probably know since you're always together."

"Polley," Suri laughed charmingly and put an arm around his waist to steady him. "You've drunk too much tonight, you aren't making any sense!"

"I don't think I've had _enough_!"

"Maybe you're right, I don't know how much liquor you can hold. What I do know is that you're hardly going to remember tonight!" Suri made sure she made direct eye contact with Michael. She made sure the boy who treated her like a little sister these past two years could see her eyes.

Michael's blue eyes were glazed over, either from pure intoxication or something else. "You're right, Rosier-Black. Hey, I don't normally ask this, especially from a kid your age, but why not, this is _our_ party! Come take a shot with me!"

"Sorry, I'm done for the night," Suri let go of Michael and carefully pushed him to the vodka-spiked punch bowl. "But take one for me, and have fun not remembering!"

After the hanging portrait that guarded the Slytherin Common room swung down behind her, Suri found the ensuing silence almost deafening. The last time there was a wild Slytherin party she had been a first year and was sent to bed by all the older students. She did remember hearing the party going late into the early morning.

"Nate!" Suri whisper-yelled into the darkness. She fumbled for her wand and muttered "lumos" to illuminate the darkness.

She walked the length of the dungeons and couldn't find him. She bypassed the first and second floor, knowing there was nowhere in those areas that Nate would be. She knew Nate would be in one of three places: the courtyard by the apple tree, the astronomy tower, or the clock tower.

Eventually, after dodging the Ravenclaw prefect on duty, she found him at the clock tower. Nate leaned against the balcony that overlooked the courtyard and beyond Hogwarts.

If he heard her approach, Nate didn't give any indication. He even remained quiet when Suri dispelled the light of her wand out and stood beside him. They stood like this, in a long silence, until Suri gently broke it.

"You asked me if I thought about the way I flew because you wanted to know if I thought about things before I did them. When it comes to flying or doing something for a friend, I hardly ever think, I just... _do_...and I hope for the best. But for everything else, like whether or not people like me or if I'm doing everything I can to prove I'm not like my dad...then I think too much." She stole a glance at Nate who looked down at his hands, avoiding eye contact with her altogether. When he didn't say anything, she continued.

"I think you were trying to ask me if I think about consequences before I do something, or if I just take chances no matter what. You asked because...you wanted to know if you should take the chance to tell a boy that you fancied him."

"I don't just like other boys, I fancy girls, too." Nate pulled his gaze away from his hands, and his hazel stare found Suri's grey-blue eyes. The rims of his eyes were bright red—Nate had been crying.

"I mean," Nate continued with a shuddering breath, "Before Polley, I fancied you because you're pretty in a way no other girls are."

"If you like girls with blubber—"

"I think you're the prettiest girl I've seen, and you walk around like you're average at best. You have eyes like no other, and your hair—the way it's always wavy like that—makes you look _free_. And you're wicked clever too. You're not like any girl, and Oliver Wood will never be good enough for you. And if we ever got together, it would be okay among our families because we're not _direct_ cousins, and we would be keeping our blood pure."

"I...you thought a lot about this…" Suri frowned, trying not to show how unsettled she was by Nate's outpouring of compliments.

"You don't have to look like that. I don't like you in that way anymore, but I do think about you a lot because you're the greatest friend I've ever had."

"Nate—"

"Let me finish, please. So, I know I fancy girls. But I've always known I liked boys too. And Michael Polley, compared to anyone else in our house, was actually someone I thought was good enough for someone like me. He's tall, he makes good marks, and he's a pureblood. So when I told him tonight that I've noticed him for a while, I didn't expect it to go anywhere because I know he doesn't like boys the way I do. But I didn't expect him to…" Nate trailed off and gripped his hands into shaking fists.

"Nate, you don't have to say it."

"He laughed in my face and called me a pansy and a faggot, Suri. He was the first boy I've ever told how I felt. If word gets out to our house, to my _family_ about this…" Nate grew pale again.

"Word _won't_ get out, Nate, I promise you."

"How can you make that promise? Can you control who Polley is telling this minute?!"

Now it was Suri's turn to look down at her hands.

"Suri Rosier-Black, what aren't you telling me? You know my ugly secret now, so what's yours?"

"Nathaniel Avery, honest opinion, your secret is anything _but_ ugly. It's the people that might treat you differently that are ugly."

Nate opened his mouth to say something, but instead he regarded Suri thoughtfully. Finally, he ducked his head. "Thank you."

Suri reached over and squeezed his hand. For a moment they stayed like that, shoulder to shoulder, holding each other up. Nate gently squeezed her hand.

"What's your not ugly secret?"

"I'm a natrual legilimens. It's not an ugly secret, but it has to be a secret because legillimency is considered a Dark Art. People will be _thrilled_ to know Sirius Black's daughter might also be involved in the Dark Arts."

"Whoa!"

"Naturally occurring gifts like legilimency and premonitions run in the women of my family—on my mother's side. Because it's natural, I don't think it's Dark at all."

"Have you been reading my mind this whole time?"

"It's not mind-reading, it's more like, a mind is a maze and I can navigate through it. But no, I haven't used legillimency on you in a long time. The last time I did it was probably when we first met. Around that time, it was harder for me to control slipping in and out of seeing people's thoughts. Now that I have more control, I make it a habit not to go into the minds of friends unless invited. I've also learned that I can influence ideas somehow. I can't make someone do something, but I can influence them by using their own thoughts. Tonight I might have helped Polley decide to drink until he can't remember parts of the night. I just hope he doesn't remember the part where he called you such terrible names."

"Wow." Nate shook his head.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise." Nate squeezed Suri's hand again. "Promise you won't tell anyone about...me? I'm not ready for anyone else to know yet."

"Always," Suri smiled.

Suri and Nate stayed out on the clock tower a while longer. Suri rested her head on Nate's arm. He had another growth spurt during this school year, and was once again officially taller than her.

"I suppose we should get back," Nate finally said, nudging Suri.

"Yeah. I told Mara I went to the loo when I actually came looking for you. Maybe she thinks I've drowned by now."

"Maybe."

They walked back to their common room arm and arm.

"Suri, if I did still fancy you, and that speech I made tonight about how pretty you are, how would you have taken it?"

"Probably the same as tonight...a little speechless, but not altogether surprised." Nate and Suri shared a giggle.

"But if I fancied _you_ , then I would say a declaration of your love at the clock tower, underneath a clear night sky, would have been the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Duly noted."

X

 ** _June 1991_**

The graduating seventh years gathered their ceremonial robes, ready for the graduating ceremony about to take place. As customary in Slytherin, all students from first to sixth years cheered for their graduating housemates and sent them off in a show of green and silver glittering sparks.

When the last seventh year student went through the tunnel, the rest of the Slytherins shot off the last of the sparks before they dispersed to continue packing or hurry away to watch the ceremony.

"Michael!" Suri ran after Michael Polley who smiled at her.

"Hey kid," he greeted warmly and pulled her into a hug. "Are you going to be at the ceremony?"

"No, I need to finish packing." Suri straightened his ceremonial robes and smiled up at him. "I think Nate might go though."

"Nate?" Michael snorted.

"That's not very nice, Polley."

"I don't care. Do you know on the night of the quidditch after party he came and told me he _loved_ me? That little fag—"

In a flash, Suri had whipped out her wand and jinxed Michael, stealing his voice. Her grey-blue eyes sparked with anger. "I don't care what you have to say, Polley. Nate is twice the person you will ever be."

Michael's face was red as he inaudibly yelled at her. Suri shrugged her shoulders. "Do you hear the Clock tower chiming? That means it's time for the ceremony to begin and you wouldn't want to miss it would you? You should probably go."

Michael looked frantic as he gripped at his throat.

"Don't be so dramatic. Your voice will be back soon enough. Though you will be stuck with a sore throat for a month."

Michael glared at Suri before he turned on his heel and stalked away to the ceremony. Before Michael got too far, Suri raised her wand again and pointed it at his back. With a flick of her wrist she directed one final hex at him. To anyone who noticed—and a couple first year students noticed her—Suri hexed Michael Polley out of the blue.

Almost immediately, Michael stopped, bent over, and vomited. Suri chuckled, which made Michael look up. His blue eyes were bloodshot as he wiped at his mouth.

"That'll wear off in an hour or so. In the meantime, I hope you learn to think before you ever speak again."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **THOUGHT: I really have the best readers. Thanks to EVERYONE who immediately corrected that Oliver becomes captain after Charlie Weasley graduates. I don't do math very well, haha!**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


	17. A Spirit All Her Own

**X**

 _ **Of Earth and Stars**_

Chapter 17: A Spirit All Her Own

* * *

 ** _August 1991_**

Suri Rosier-Black spent her last evening in Vienna at Mia Marker's house with Sophia Saxby, and Mia's older brother Geoff occasionally joining them for snacks.

Mia chewed thoughtfully on a biscotti. "And you have no idea where your grandmother is taking you?"

"None at all," Suri swirled her lavender lemonade, watching the ice clink against the sweating glass.

"She just said it was important that we go to "this place" for the last two weeks before school starts again." Suri caught herself before she mentioned poking around her grandmother's mind. Other than her immediate family, Dumbledore, Snape, and her best friend Nathaniel Avery knew about her natural legillimens talent.

"Maybe she wants to celebrate your birthday early," tried Sophia Saxby, her brown eyes thoughtful. "Especially since you're always at Hogwarts for your birthday."

"We usually celebrate the weekend before I leave for school." Suri sighed, running a hand through her loose waves. "Maybe you're right, Sophia. Granna does like celebrating."

"Whatever it is, you have to write to us about it!"

"I will, I promise."

The evening wore on and the girls giggled about ridiculous classes and boys from their schools. They talked about quidditch and wizard rock, and finally Suri glanced at the large clock, visible through the kitchen window.

"It's way past curfew! Granna is going to have a fit!" She abruptly stood and started clearing her plate.

"Don't worry, Sophia and I will get that. She's staying over tonight, so neither of us are worried about curfew."

"Alright, thank you." Suri hugged both Mia and Sophia tightly-saying goodbye was always hard.

"Sorry Eloise couldn't come," Sophia apologized.

"It doesn't matter," Suri attempted a smile, knowing her friends could see right through it. "When Jessica Yates transferred from Hogwarts, I had a feeling something like this was bound to happen."

Eloise Greening, her friend since they were five years old, had decided she no longer wanted to be friends with Suri because Jessica's story seemed more believable than Suri's. From that moment on, Eloise refused to see or speak to Mia or Sophia as long as they hung out with Suri.

"It's still stupid," Mia interjected. "We've known you since we started learning the alphabet, and never have you said anything against someone who didn't come from...from families like ours." Both Mia's and Sophia's families were just as pureblooded as Suri's.

"That's because I don't think I _knew_ anyone else. Or if I did, I didn't know about it."

"Exactly. Eloise is being absolutely ridiculous." Sophia nodded in agreement.

Her friends' defense made her feel better. Giving them each one last hug at the front door, Suri promised to write more often and stepped into the warm night.

"Suri! Wait up!"

She had made it past three houses when she turned at the sound of her name. It was Geoff Marker.

Suri checked her jacket pockets quickly (outside of school, Suri enjoyed muggle fashion much more than wizarding robes). "Geoff? Did I leave something behind?"

"No," Geoff smiled when he caught up with her. "I just thought you shouldn't walk home alone. It's late."

"I don't live very far, Geoff. Just two blocks away."

"It's dangerous out here."

Suri looked around. They lived in an affluent wizarding community in the heart of Vienna, tucked well away from muggles. "Right…dangerous. What's going to attack me out here, a grim?"

"Maybe," Geoff smiled again. He seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief when Suri let him walk with her.

"So, quidditch is good?"

"Yes. Did I tell you we won the House Cup this last year? I'm really hoping we'll win again this school year."

"That's great, Suri. I'd like to think it was all thanks to me."

"Pfft," Suri laughed, and Geoff immediately faked a sad look. "Oh fine, if you hadn't trained with me every summer, I might not be as good as I am now."

"You're welcome."

Suri and Geoff rounded the corner to Suri's street. Her grandmother had left the light on outside for her. "Well, thank you for your chivalry, Geoff, but my home isn't too far away, and I'm sure no grim will come out to attack between now and the next five houses."

"Grims have a mind of their own."

"Good night, Geoff. Have a good year at Beauxbatons. Oh! Good luck with quidditch this year, too!"

"Suri, wait."

Suri paused and regarded Geoff with a curious smile. He had put his hands in his pockets and looked unsure of himself. Suri peeled back a layer from his thoughts and felt the butterflies in his stomach. "Geoff, you're acting odd."

"I…" Geoff puffed out a sigh and raked a hand through his sandy blond hair. "Suri, I've known you for a number of years."

"I think about eight years, now."

"Eight years," Geoff agreed. "And for a long time, you were always my little sister's friend. But for the past couple summers I feel like something's changed."

"Changed? Changed how?" Suri's heart fluttered when Geoff took a couple steps forward, closing some of the distance between them. If Suri reached out, her fingers would graze his arm or chest.

"You're like no one I've ever met. You're fun, you're athletic, and I've never seen eyes quite like yours before. And all I've wanted to do since you came home for summer holiday was kiss you."

"I…I don't know, Geoff…" Suri studied his face. Being completely honest with herself, Suri had never noticed Geoff's looks before. He was always Mia's older brother-a year older than them at school, but he was slightly older having been born late in the year like Suri-both funny and annoying all at once. He became her friend when he helped her practice quidditch techniques. Now, she looked into his hazel eyes framed by long, dark lashes. Like Mia, he was also tall and lithe. From his eyes, Suri looked down his straight nose and to his lips. She had never been kissed before, and she wondered what it would be like to be kissed by Geoff.

"I'm sure you have someone at Hogwarts—"

"I don't!" Suri blushed at how eager she sounded. She took a breath and continued calmly. "I mean, I don't have anyone at Hogwarts or...anywhere really, because I haven't paid too much attention to anyone in that way. But…" Suri shook her head. "I leave tomorrow morning, Geoff."

"I know. I wanted to talk to you sooner, but I just couldn't." He smiled at her, almost looking defeated as he took a few steps back. "See you around, Suri. Have a good year at Hogwarts."

"Geoff," Suri smiled a shy smile. The hopeful look in his eyes was enough to make her laugh softly. "A kiss for the road wouldn't hurt, right? Especially if stray grims are out there waiting to pounce."

Geoff's lips broadened into a smile and his long legs closed the space between them. Suri's heart hammered in her chest when one arm went around her waist and he pulled her in. His other hand touched her hair before it traced along her jaw, tilting her chin upward. Suri went on her toes to meet him halfway. Gently, his lips touched hers one, two, three times.

He kissed her one more time then pulled back. They looked at each other and chuckled uncomfortably. Suri pressed a hand to her warm cheek. Kissing Geoff was as she imagined, a little awkward, but most definitely nice.

"Do you think if you weren't at Hogwarts, and we saw each other more often," Geoff started, almost softly, "we'd have a chance?"

"You and me?" Suri's mind quickly imagined a life at Beauxbatons where she walked the halls hand-in-hand with Geoff. While it was a pretty picture, it seemed a little off to her, and not because of him. She knew that he would make any girl he decided to go with very happy. But it wouldn't be her.

"I don't know. I think we've known each other for far too long for it to work. Besides, I would always worry, because growing up, you were the brother we all fancied. I couldn't imagine my friends being upset with me because we were together."

Geoff's eyes widened. "You _all_ fancied me? Wow."

"Don't get a big head about it now. Eloise has sisters, and both Sophia and I don't have siblings. So childhood crushes landed on you."

Geoff puffed out his chest proudly, and only stopped when Suri laughed.

" _Goodnight_ , Geoff, I have an early morning." Suri turned and left Geoff standing, watching to make sure she got to her doorstep.

"Even if you don't think so, I'd like to think we would have ages together!" Geoff called after her.

She smiled as she closed her front door and turned out the light.

 **X**

" _Capacious_ —Suri, are you even watching?"

"Yes, Granna," Suri yawned, and watched as her grandmother pointed a wand at both of their suitcases early the next morning. "You're using the Extension charm."

"It's a very delicate spell that can go wrong if not done properly, young lady." Granna frowned at Suri. "You know, if you were home before curfew, you wouldn't be this tired. _Capacious Extremis_."

"Granna, these are the ungodly hours of the day. I would have been tired no matter what." She took the charmed suitcase that her grandmother handed her and stood.

"Pack your trunk and all of your belongings for school and whatever else you might need in this suitcase. We're leaving at half past."

 **X**

They spent the entire day travelling by train. Suri rested her head on her grandmother's shoulder and napped as they went wherever they were going. At first, she woke at every stop, and her grandmother assured her it wasn't it, until eventually…

Amalia Rosier gently pushed Suri's hair out of her face. "Suri darling, this is our stop."

The train dropped them off at a small, remote station. It was so small, that there were no other travelers. There was only a ticket booth with a bored attendant reading a book and a sad looking snack station.

"Where are we?"

"Northern Ireland, of course," her grandmother smiled. Somehow, just being in Ireland made Amalia Rosier's accent seem thicker. She reached into her handbag and extracted two brooms and two cloaks. "We're flying the rest of the way."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Suri grinned and grabbed a broom. She stuffed the cloak her grandmother offered back into her bag, and instead buttoned up the heavy, red flannel shirt she wore. Her grandmother put Suri's suitcase into her handbag as well before she secured it inside her cloak.

"It's probably going to rain, Suri. You'll get sick."

"Then we'll have to fly faster." Suri kicked off into the air and gave her grandmother a teasing smile from above. "Unless you'll need me to fly slower. I know you aren't as young as you used to be, Granna."

"I am not above jinxing your mouth shut, Suri Rosier-Black," her grandmother warned, floating beside her granddaughter. In spite of her stern words, she was smiling. "Besides, you're only a keeper, aren't you? You might need to learn how to keep up with a chaser!" Amalia Rosier sped off, leaving Suri staring after her.

Immediately, Suri flew after her, laughing all the while. "Arrogance clearly runs in this family!"

While in the air, Suri dove and spiraled, laughing every time Amalia Rosier gasped with fright.

"One of these days you're going to get yourself killed doing crazy stunts like that!"

"It hasn't happened yet, so I don't think it ever will," Suri responded, flying next to her grandmother.

"Now that sounds familiar," Amalia Rosier murmured, and Suri wondered if it was her mother or father the older woman thought about.

After five more minutes of flying, Amalia Rosier finally announced, "we're here."

"Where is…" Suri started to ask and stopped mid-sentence as they drew nearer to "here". First, Suri saw the cliffs that overlooked the sea. She smelled the salt air and the wind that carried a scent of lavender. She felt her legs turn to jelly when she saw the overgrown lavender fields that led up to a grand white house.

"Granna, this is…"

"This is Rosier Manor, though once again named Maeve Manor, after I left your grandfather. Suri, by your birthright, this is yours."

Suri and her grandmother brought their brooms down to earth, and Suri stared up at the magnificent house.

"This is where you lived with my mother."

"It is."

"And these cliffs and lavender fields. You've helped her learn to fly and be a better player above it." She recalled the memory she had seen in her grandmother's mind. Suri reached for the crystal vial that hung on a thin chain, charmed to be unbreakable. Somehow, just being at this house made her feel closer to Tessa Rosier than she ever had.

"I wanted to wait until you were older, but I just _felt_ like now was the right time. Do you want to go inside?"

Not trusting herself to speak, Suri simply nodded. She felt her grandmother press something cold into her hand. When she looked down, it was a silver key.

"Go on."

Suri climbed the steps to the house, and unlocked the door. She reached for her necklace again and took a calming breath before she pushed the double-doors open. She had no expectations for the interior, but she did not expect it to look as though someone had been living in it.

The interior of Maeve Manor was mostly white, light blue, and lilac with coordinating furniture and decor. The marble floors were immaculate, and Suri was sure that if she were to run a finger along the end tables for dust, it would come up clean.

"We had two house-elves when we lived here; Apple and Ivy. When your mother moved out into her own home, Ivy went with her to help with housework while your mother cared for you. Then, after...everything...Apple and Ivy chose to work at Hogwarts even after I offered to end their services. They came back to help clean this place up after it had been untouched for the past ten years."

As if on cue, two house-elves appeared from the kitchen, and both looked incredibly happy. "Missus Rosier has returned, and she has brought young Miss Rosier-Black with her! We have missed the Missus!" A younger house-elf with big brown eyes clapped her hands together excitedly.

The older house-elf with wise, green eyes dabbed at them with the edge of her shirt.

"Ivy, whatever is the matter," Amalia asked, concerned by the tears.

"N-nothing, Missus," said Ivy. She came closer. "We have just waited so long to see you again, and to see the young Suri Rosier-Black. May I see you more closely, Miss Suri Rosier-Black?"

"Oh, sure…" Suri walked forward and sat on the ground. Ivy and Apple made her feel like a giant compared to their stature. Ivy stepped forward first. She reached out and touched Suri's face, and immediately her massive eyes filled with tears again.

"When you were just a wee little thing and your Mum and Dad had to fight, sometimes I would watch you. You were always so easy to care for. Ahh, your eyes, these are unforgettable eyes, they are." Ivy touched Suri's hair. "You have young Sirius Black's coloring, but your smile is like your mother's." She tilted Suri's chin up to the light. "But your spirit, Miss Suri Rosier-Black feels both naughty like your father, but gentle like your mothers. Still it is something all your own, too. Very different."

"She looks more like a Rosier ancestor," Apple said softly. "Beautiful women, all of them. She's like her mother now. Starting to look more like a woman than a child at this age."

"I won't be fourteen for another few days."

"Fourteen is when Miss Tessa stole young Sirius Black's heart and never gave it back." Apple smiled knowingly. She tapped the side of her head. "Apple knows things, Miss Suri Rosier-Black. She remembers seeing lots of things."

"Oh well, I won't be stealing hearts anytime soon," Suri smiled and got to her feet. "Granna, can I explore?"

"Of course, darling. Take your suitcase upstairs too, and choose a room. Then when you're ready, we'll have lunch."

Suri brought her suitcase to the top of the stairs and left it there so she could explore the rooms. She counted six in total. One was a master suite with floor to ceiling windows and a large bathtub that looked expensive.

The other rooms were impressive in different ways. All were much larger than her room in Vienna (which was already spacious). She wandered through rooms and bathrooms, all minimally decorated until she made it to the room furthest from the master suite.

This room had more character than the others. There was an armchair by the window, and Suri sat there. Beneath the window was a short bookshelf that was mostly empty aside from half a dozen books with uninteresting titles. A white duvet that looked soft to the touch covered the bed, and while the closet on adjoining wall was mostly empty, there was a single robe hanging from a wooden hanger. Suri got up to look at the robe that smelled like a mixture of mothballs, lavender and something sweet like honey.

The green and silver robe looked like an outdated version of her quidditch robes. Turning it over, Suri read the silver stitching on the back: ROSIER 8. This was her mother's room.

Suri took one last look around the room before she left as quietly as she came in. She moved her suitcase from the front of the stairs and put them into the room next to Tessa's old room. She pushed open the window that overlooked toe lavender fields and thought about Tessa's room. She was sure it didn't look quite as it did now when her mother was growing up, especially since Tessa had moved out soon after Suri was born. Still, traces of Tessa's personality could be felt in that room, telling the story of a girl who was at once elegant and fashionable. It was almost too soft for Suri's taste.

"Miss?"

Apple knocked on Suri's door, startling her from her thoughts. Immediately Apple looked bashful. "Sorry for scaring you miss, but Missus Rosier is wondering if you'll be coming down soon."

"Oh yes, thank you," she replied. "I'll be down in a minute."

Apple nodded her head and snapped her fingers, disappearing with a poof. Alone again, Suri unpacked her suitcase and pulled out a soft black pullover in exchange of her red flannel that had gotten wet on the ride to Maeve Manor.

Looking at her reflection, she smiled and left the room, feeling more at home than she had in a while.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for the time it took to update. I recently moved and moving takes so much energy!**

 **Your reviews are love!**

 **x**


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